The Informations - "Strange Habits"

"Strange Habits" from The Informations is not the type of song I usually bring you, but I simply can't resist this one. The Informations is a moniker used by one person, whose name is not listed in the press release for this song. According to the press release, The Informations is the "... moniker under which I create music that sounds like lost albums from our youth, bands from countries that never existed, melodies and lyrics from our dreams." Once you hear "Strange Habits," that explanation will make perfect sense. It sounds like a sound collage/mash up of little bits and pieces a DJ would collect, but this appears to be made up from The Informations playing actual instruments, and not sampling. It was recorded in their father's basement studio using obscure instruments. It's a unique style that will assuredly suck you in.

You can watch the video for "Strange Habits" below. For more on The Informations, check out their Facebook.

Lila Blue - "Grown Bones"

Photo via Facebook

Saying an artist is hard to categorize is a cliche thing to say, but sometimes it's just true. Lila Blue's latest single, "Grown Bones," is a tough one, but in the best possible way. The easiest category would be folk, but that won't feel right once you start listening to. "Grown Bones" has a dark, nearly foreboding feel in the way that Brown Bird did. But then there's the vocals. You remember in the 90's when there was that group of female singers like Tori Amos and PJ Harvey doing impossible to categorize music so they just got lumped into "alternative," even though that didn't really fit? That's what Lila Blue is doing. "Grown Bones" is such a thrilling and unique song that we can't wait to hear more from her.

You can watch the video for "Grown Bones" below. Leave Me Be, the upcoming album from Lila Blue, will be out in April. For more on Lila Blue, check out her website.

Friday Freebie: Editrix - Talk to Me

Northampton, MA's Editrix are an unusual band, to put it mildly. Their four song EP, Talk to Me, was released back in February 2019. Its four songs have this intense noise that has a little too much structure to truly be a noise band but way too much noise not to. But the strangest factor is singer Wendy Eisenberg's voice. She has a pleasant and soft singing voice that you never ever ever associate with this type of music. A song like "Instant" is this insane wall of ever changing and shifting noise with this nice lilting voice weaving its way through it. It's a combination we don't normally hear, but one that works perfectly.

You can listen to "Instant" below. Talk to Me is available for the name your price option over at Bandcamp. If you choose free, make sure to at least follow Editrix on Instagram.

Jess Williamson - "Wind On Tin"

Photo by Kathryn Vetter Miller

Despite it's airy and upbeat vibe, the latest from Jess Williamson has an otherworldly  backstory. "Wind On Tin" is a gorgeous modern folk song. It's pretty straightforward in sound, the kind of song that NPR should be all over any day now. That's because Williamson does the modern folk thing so perfectly and so beautifully that I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this.

Now for the otherworldly part. It's a song about travelling to attend a friend's memorial service and possibly hearing the voice of God. Williamson explains the backstory:

“Grief has a way of making the veil between worlds very thin. Prior to the memorial service, I was sitting on a porch passing around a guitar and drinking beers with a few very dear people in my life who I look up to greatly and who were very close to the person who had passed. We heard an unexplainable sound in the wind that made us all pause. Like a flute, but more angelic. It kept going. We tried, unsuccessfully, to record it. The sound was indescribably beautiful and heavenly. ‘Were the angels singing just for us, or is that what the wind out here does on tin?’ Regardless of the answer, I know that for that brief moment we were lucky initiates into the mystery realm, and I’m deeply grateful.”

You can watch the video for "Wind On Tin" below. Sorceress, the new album from Jess Williamson, will be out May 15 on Mexican Summer. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Jess Williamson, check out her website. Current tour dates are below the video.

Sun. May. 31 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Tue. June. 2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
Wed. June. 3 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord
Fri. June. 5 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Sat. June. 6 - Seattle, WA @ Clock Out Lounge
Wed. June. 10 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
Thu. June. 11 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
Sat. June .13 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake
Sun. June. 14 - Montreal, QC @ Esco 
Tue. June. 16 - Boston, MA @ Great Scott
Thu. June.  18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's 
Fri. June. 19 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool 
Sat. June. 20 - Washington, DC @ DC9
Mon. June. 22 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl 
Thu. June. 25 - Dallas, TX @ Ruins 
Fri. June. 26 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk Inside
Sat. June. 27 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
Mon. June 29 - Tucson, AZ @ Exo 

Sapling - No Sequoia

Massachusetts's Sapling have released a strong album of the year contender with No Sequoia. Let's be clear: Sapling aren't going to be for everyone. This album is abrasive, and it's intended to be. But No Sequoia is also a lot of fun. Along with the intense noise and aggression of songs like "Fuck This Yuppie Barbecue," you also get these chill and groovy songs like "Maria Vs. Machine Maria." Although "Maria Vs. Machine Maria" devolves into noise and chaos at the end, so there's definitely a theme here. That might be one of the great things about Sapling. Most bands that fall into the noise punk category are either pure noise and aggression or electronic near dance music. Sapling exist in both worlds, being both punk and groovy dance music. Plus, their songs feel both silly and completely serious at the same time, which is never a bad thing.

You can listen to "Everything Was Better" below. No Sequoia is available now via Bandcamp. For more on Sapling, check them out on Facebook and YouTube.

M-Dot - "The Atonement"

Photo via Facebook

Boston's M-Dot is back with a new Pete Rock produced single that is perfect for old school hip hop fans. First of all, musically it's not completely smooth and polished sounding. The music is rough and hard, which just feels right to me. Plus, M-Dot's flow isn't the laid back style you hear these days. He raps hard and aggressive in a style I haven't heard in years. Sure, there's a bit of an R&B chorus, but even that seems a lot more edgy than you'd think. 

You can listen to "The Atonement" below. Ego & The Enemy Part 2: A Dissolute Paradise, the upcoming album from M-Dot, doesn't have a release date yet. For more on M-Dot, check out his Facebook and Twitter. 

First Listen: New Releases for 21 February

Artist: Sarah Harmer
Album: Are You Gone
Quick Description: First new music in nearly a decade from the Canadian folkie.
Why You Should Listen: She hasn't missed a beat.
Overall Thoughts: Her first album in around a decade, in many ways, picks up where she left off. Maybe a little more adult radio rock in some places than the rootsy folk that made me so interested in her work to start, but that isn’t a bad thing. The layoff didn’t hurt her sound at all, and I’m just glad she’s back.
Recommendation: Make time for this.

Artist: Grimes
Album: Miss Anthropocene
Quick Description: New music from the off-center pop songstress.
Why You Should Listen: This is kind of epic, and a huge step forward.
Overall Thoughts: I’m already a big Grimes guy, so it’s not shocking that I’m really into this for a lot of reasons. Grimes has never shied away from taking a more difficult path in her songwriting, and this album is even more ambitious than Art Angels, yet also acting as a pretty accessible release on a whole. Even if this isn’t generally your style or genre, I highly recommend this, because a lot of people will be talking about it in the coming months.
Recommendation: Her best yet, so don't miss out.

Artist: Gray Bouchard
Album: Love in the New World
Quick Description: Powerful pop-rock from the Salem Wolves musician.
Why You Should Listen: This is a surprisingly fun listen.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't realize this was someone from Salem Wolves until later, and I don't know if it makes any more sense knowing that, but this truly came out of nowhere for me and really connected. There are beautiful songs here, there are fun songs here, and it's sort of a masterclass in balancing a lot of different musical ideas. Don't miss out on this.
Recommendation: A worthwhile listen.

Artist: Mount Sharp
Album: That Shadow
Quick Description: First new music in years by the somewhat-regional act.
Why You Should Listen: This is a great listen from start to finish.
Overall Thoughts: This is a great little alt-rock album. It's loud, it's abrasive, it's melodic, it's just everything I didn't really know I was looking for. This is a really special listen, and one that I wanted to get back to really quickly. Reminiscent of Cayetana mixed with Dinosaur Jr. with maybe a little Weezer thrown in? I dunno. It's just great.
Recommendation: Might end up being a favorite this year, who knows...

Artist: Allie X
Album: Cape God
Quick Description: Fun pop from an underrated artist.
Why You Should Listen: You don't hate the existing world around you.
Overall Thoughts: If you can listen to "Super Duper Party People" and not dance in your seat, you lack a proper soul. I've liked Allie X for some time now, and this is maybe her best, most cohesive effort yet. I love a good pop song, and this offers plenty of them.
Recommendation: Get your groove on already.

Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
Album: Ordinary Man
Quick Description: Ozzy's first album in some time.
Why You Should Listen: It's actually good!
Overall Thoughts: No, really, it is. It's very much an album of an aging rock star facing that reality, and being super honest about it, with music that isn't at all offensive or dated. I genuinely enjoyed this listen when I was sure I'd turn it off after a few songs. This is one more people should be talking about, long and short.
Recommendation: Not my genre, but definitely my style.

Of note:

* Her Silo - Don't Forget the Heart That's Beating
* Greg Dulli - Random Desire
* Six Organs of Admittance - Companion Rises
* Nora Jane Struthers - Bright Lights, Long Drives, First Words
* Banoffee - Look at Us Now Dad>
* Agnes Obel - Myopia
* Best Coast - Always Tomorrow
* Wilsen - Ruiner
* Elaquent - Forever is a Pretty Long Time
* Peggy Sue - Vices
* Purr - Like New
* Megan Katarina - To Be Honest
* Katie Pruitt - Expectations
* Lanterns on the Lake - Spook the Herd
* Lee Ranaldo and Raul Refree - Names of North End Women

EPs:

* CocoRosie - Restless (Is CocoRosie making music that might actually get popular!?)
* Swan MEat - FLESHWORLD (Some of the oddest, most compelling electronic music I've heard in a while.)
* HONEYMOAN - Weirdo
* Chloe Foy - Callous Copper
* Keep Shelly in Athens and Vauxhall Underground - In the Blocks
* Charlotte Rose Benjamin - Party City

Also out:

* Guided By Voices - Surrender Your Poppy Field
* Rose Cousins - Bravado

Melkbelly - "Humid Heart"

Photo by Ariella Miller

The latest from Chicago's Melkbelly is a dark indie rock exploration of pure emotion. It stays true to a mostly standard song format, but has a slightly off kilter and dark feel. It reminds me quite a bit of early Speedy Ortiz mixed with Throwing Muses. According to frontwoman Miranda Winters, "Humid Heart" is "... “about how the grief of losing someone suddenly disorients everyday life." The end of the song seems to drone on in the same way for an extended period of time, but given the rest of the song it's somehow perfect.

You can watch the video for "Humid Heart" below. PITH, the new album from Melkbelly, will be available April 3 on Wax Nine/Carpark Records. You can pre-order it here. For more on Melkbelly, check out their website. Current tour dates are below the video.

Sat. April 4 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
Wed. April 22 - Toronto, ON @ Baby G
Thu. April 23 - Montreal, QC @ Le Ritz
Fri. April 24 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater
Sun. April 26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
Wed. April 29 - Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
Thu. April 30 - Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
Fri. May 1 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project

The Bobby Lees Cover Bo Diddley

Considering that Woodstock, NY's The Bobby Lees played a form of blues based garage punk, covering Bo Diddley makes perfect sense. Except their version of the classic "I'm a Man" barely keeps the minimum of the original to still be a cover. It's nearly a total reworking of the song, while somehow still being a blues song. It's a nasty as hell dirty and noisy version of "I'm a Man," but it's still somehow "I'm a Man." If you're a purist, this won't be for you, but if you want to hear some of the noisiest garage punk you've heard in years, check this one out.

You can listen to The Bobby Lees's take on "I'm a Man" below. Skin Suit, the new album from The Bobby Lees, will be out May 8 on Alive Naturalsound Records. For more on The Bobby Lees, check out their website.

King Buzzo with Trevor Dunn - "Science in Modern America"

For his second solo album, King Buzzo of The Melvins has enlisted Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas) to assist him and play bass. The first single off of the album, "Science in Modern America," is unlike any acoustic solo project you've ever heard before. Sure, it does follow the acoustic singer/songwriter template somewhat, but, and this will come as no surprise based on who is involved, "Science in Modern America" is weird. The best way I can describe this is if Alice Cooper sat in on Tom Morello's The Nightwatchman side project. But weirder.

You can listen to "Science in Modern America" below. King Buzzo with Trevor Dunn's new album Gift of Sacrifice will be out May 15 on Ipecac Recordings. You can pre-order the album here. For more on King Buzzo, check out The Melvins's website. Current tour dates are below the song.


May 13 Palm Springs, CA The Alibi
May 14 Long Beach, CA Alex’s Bar
May 15 San Diego, CA Casbah
May 17 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
May 18 Phoenix, AZ The Rebel Lounge
May 19 Santa Fe, NM Meow Wolf
May 21 Tulsa, OK The Shrine
May 22 Norman, OK Opolis
May 23 Dallas, TX Three Links
May 24 Austin, TX Barracuda
May 25 Houston, TX Warehouse Live (Studio)
May 27 New Orleans, LA Santos
May 28 Birmingham, AL Zydeco
May 29 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
May 30 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theater
May 31 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
June 1 Richmond, VA Richmond Music Hall
June 3 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
June 4 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts
June 5 New York, NY The Bowery Ballroom
June 6 Hamden, CT Space Ballroom
June 7 Allston, MA Great Scott
June 8 Albany, NY The Hollow
June 10 Toronto, ON Velvet Underground
June 11 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place
June 12 Pittsburgh, PA Thunderbird Music Hall
June 13 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
June 15 Detroit, MI Third Man Records Cass Corridor
June 16 Grand Rapids, MI The Pyramid Scheme
June 17 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
June 18 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley
June 19 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House
June 20 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
June 21 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
June 22 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
June 23 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
June 24 Kansas City, MO The Riot Room
June 26 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
June 28 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
June 29 Boise, ID Neurolux
July 1 Seattle, WA Columbia City Theater
July 2 Vancouver, BC The Fox Cabaret
July 3 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
July 5 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
July 6 Los Angeles, CA The Echo

Throwing Muses - "Dark Blue"

It's not very often we get to bring you new Throwing Muses, so we're thrilled to bring you their latest song, "Dark Blue." Even by Throwing Muses standards, this new song is dark. As soon as the guitar kicks in, you know you're in for it with this one. When the other instruments kick in, the effect is jarring in the best possible way. As with everything great in Throwing Muses's thirty-plus years, it combines this horrific noise and the beautiful in the best possible way. "Dark Blue" might be the best example of this dichotomy that I've heard from them.

You can listen to "Dark Blue" below. Sun Racket, the upcoming album from Throwing Muses, will be out May 22. Kristin Hersh explains the new album: “All it asked of us was to comingle two completely disparate sonic vocabularies: one heavy noise, the other delicate music box. Turns out we didn’t have to do much. Sun Racket knew what it was doing and pushed us aside, which is always best. After thirty years of playing together, we trust each other implicitly but we trust the music more.” You can pre-order the album here. For more on Throwing Muses, check out their website.

Kid Gulliver - "Susie Survived Chemotherapy"

Boston's Kid Gulliver are one of the bands touring New England as part of the Whistlestop Rock Festival, and based on their latest single, they're sure to be one of the biggest hits. "Susie Survived Chemotherapy" is a bright and sunny song about a survivor of childhood cancer. It's power pop at its absolute most poppy, which seems a little strange given the subject matter, but what deserves a celebratory song more than that? Of course, there is a slight hidden edge to the song underlying the sunny sound, because they are from Boston after all.

You can listen to "Susie Survived Chemotherapy" below. The song is available now as a download via Kid Gulliver's Bandcamp. For more on Kid Gulliver, check out their website. If you're lucky enough to be in the Boston area, you can check them out at the Whistlestop Rock Festival this Saturday at ONCE Ballroom in Somerville, March 14 at Koto in Salem, and March 28 at Sun Tiki Studios in Portland, ME. 

Live Shows: Drive-By Truckers, Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA 2/22/20

Photo by Ken Sears

Despite Drive-By Truckers being one of my all time favorite bands, it's been roughly six years since I've been able to see them live. Weather issues have derailed the last two times I was supposed to see them, but luckily last Saturday was devoid of any weather issues, so I was finally able to see them again.

The show started off a little... off. For the first four songs ("Made Up English Oceans," "Rosemary With a Bible and a Gun," "Slow Ride Argument," and "Heroin Again") the band seemed tense. Maybe it's because three of those songs are off Drive-By Truckers's latest album and haven't been played live much yet, or maybe it's that they're just dark, slow songs, but they just didn't seem like themselves. It's a little odd, since those appear to be the opening songs on every show of the tour so far. The band seemed to start getting their groove back on the Mike Cooley sung "3 Dimes Down" and immediately got into full form on the next song, Patterson Hood's "Sink Hole."

From there the show was on full blast. Drive-By Truckers played their alt-country at full volume to the delight of a faithful audience. They sprinkled seven out of the nine songs from this year's The Unraveling (including "Thoughts and Prayers" which includes a verse about a flat earther crashing to Earth in a rocket, played just hours after a flat earther actually crashed a rocket to Earth and died) but kept it a fan favorite heavy set. They went back to 1999's Pizza Deliverance for the country heavy "Tales Facing Up," and played a total of seven songs off their 2001 concept album classic Southern Rock Opera, including the album opener "Days of Graduation," which I never thought I'd see them do live since it's not a song as much as an album introduction. 

At this point in their career, they're pretty open to changing songs up a bit. "Goode's Field Road" was reworked as a Clash style dub, and "Uncle Frank" always seems to be evolving every time you hear it. This experimentation could be why Drive-By Truckers seem to have more fun than any live band out there today. Matt Patton, the "new guy" of the band despite being a member for at least six years, still looks like he's playing his first gig with the band and can't believe his luck at every single show.

The end of the show Saturday night might have been the most epic finale of any show I've ever been to, including stadium and arena shows by heavyweights like Paul McCartney and Motley Crue. Starting with "Let There Be Rock," I expected Drive-By Truckers to end the show, or at least take a break for an encore, since it sounded like such a huge and perfect place to end the show. But, no, they started playing "Zip City." And then "Armageddon's Back in Town." They played six songs that could have perfectly ended the night, but didn't stop until the two-headed beast that is "Shut Up and Get On the Plane" and "Angels and Fuselage." Then, after nearly two and a half hours, Drive-By Truckers ended their set. No encore, but who really needed one after that monster of a show?

Luna Li - "Trying"

Photo by Halle Hirota

Luna Li is the rare indie rock musician with over a decade of classical training, in her case violin and piano. None of that is going to prepare you for her latest song, "Trying." "Trying" is a pop song, but one of the more interesting pop songs I've heard in years. It starts off pretty light in an indie pop kinda way. It has a dreamy, breezy feel to it that brings 60's girl groups into the modern world. And then the crashing cymbals and violins kick in, and even if you hate 95% of what can be considered pop (like myself), you truly need to check this song out.

Luna Li explains the song: "Writing this song was an exercise in vulnerability. I had been listening to the podcast Song Exploder and noticed that the episodes I connected with most were the ones where the artists really opened up. I made a conscious decision to write something vulnerable as a way to combat my shyness and to better connect with others. 

“Trying” is about anxiety and the feeling of desperation and sense of unreality that can happen when everything gets to be too overwhelming. The dynamics and dreamy feel of the music reflect the feeling of being dazed and restless."

You can watch the video for "Trying" below. For more on Luna Li, check her out on Facebook and Twitter.

Vandoliers Cover The Proclaimers

Photo by Mike Brooks

We're pretty obsessed with covers here at If It's Too Loud..., especially covers that stay true to the original while making the song their own. Vandoliers have completely nailed it with their version of The Proclaimers's 1993 megasmash song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)." The song is a bit of a punchline now, but back in 1993 it was one of the biggest songs that ever existed. The Vandoliers's version maintains the fun of the original with a bit of cheeky sarcasm without coming across as mocking. It's just fun. Plus, it's the Vandoliers so it's much less Irish folk-pop and more ramshackle country punk. It's a rollicking version of the original with some of the best "Da da da da!" gang vocals ever recorded.

You can listen to Vandoliers's cover of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" below. The song is available now as a download via Bandcamp. For more on Vandoliers, check out their website. Current tour dates are below the song (still no New England dates, though!)


2/28 Stanley’s Famous Pit BBQ Tyler, TX
3/7 Downtown Carrollton Carrollton, TX
3/17 Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, CA
3/20 Bloodshot SXSX Day Party Austin, TX
3/20 AMG Showcase Austin, TX
3/27 Encore Entertainment Blue Springs, MO
3/28 Ned’s Tahlequah, OK
4/17 Blue Note Oklahoma City, OK
4/18 Nortons Brewing Wichita, KS
4/21 Bourbon Theatre’s Rye Room Lincoln, NE
4/22 Off Broadway St. Louis, MO
4/23 Law Office Pub Yorkville, IL
4/25 The Hideout Chicago, IL
4/26 Lyric Room Green Bay, WI
4/28 Duke’s Indy Indianapolis, IN
4/29 The Basement Nashville, TN
4/30 The Star Community Bar Atlanta, GA
5/1 The Nick Birmingham, AL
5/2 Hernando’s Hideaway Memphis, TN

European summer tour dates:

12/06: Malmö, SWE - Folk å Rock (Official)
13/06: Löderup, SWE - Solhällan i Löderup
14/06: Stockholm, SWE - Sthlm Americana 2020
16/06: Leiden, NL - Qbus Club Leiden
18/06: Hamburg-Bergedorf, DE - Sound Yard
19/06: Altlandsberg, DE - Buchholz Saloon
20/06: Eindhoven, NL - Cafe Wilhelmina
24/06: Valencia, ESP - Loco Club
25/06: Madrid, ESP - El Sol
26/06: Zaragoza, ESP - Rock & Blues Café
27/06: Avilés, ESP - Factoría Cultural Avilés
28/06: Santander, ESP - Little Bobby
03/07: Easton, UK - Maverick Festival
04/07: Bridport, UK - SouthCider Festival 2020 - July 3-6th
05/07: London, UK - The Grace
06/07: Hull, UK - O'Rileys
07/07: Scarbrough, UK - Wood End Gallery
08/07: Glasgow, UK - Broadcast
09/07: Newcastle, UK - The Cluny
10/07: Thorseby Park, UK - Walled Garden Music Festival
11/07: Oberhausen, DE - Static Roots Festival
12/07: Gierle, BE - SJOCK Festival 45

Friday Freebie: The Only Things - You Can't Rush Genius

It's been a little while since we've heard from Massachusetts's own The Only Things, but luckily for us all they're back with a new seven song album! You Can't Rush Genius is decidedly less pop punk than 2018's Dandelion. The title track still has the gang vocals in the previous album, but it's a little more 90's alternative. In fact, there is some dirty as hell twangy guitar in here, so it reminds me a little of Cracker's country side, but a really sloppy (in the best way) version of that. The next song, "Head Down," brings in some brattier pop punk vocals, but still a sloppy, grungy alt-country sound to the music. The remaining five songs keep to this bizarre style (with varying levels of obvious country influence) that shouldn't work at all, but somehow comes out perfectly in the hands of The Only Things.

You can listen to "Could It/Couldn't" below. You Can't Rush Genius, the new album from The Only Things, is currently out now as a free download on The Only Things's Bandcamp. If you do download it for free, make sure to follow the band on Facebook.

Archers of Loaf - "Raleigh Days"

Here are words I never dared to believe I would actually type out: Here is a new song from Archers of Loaf! This isn't a forgotten B-side or an outtake, but an actual newly recorded song! The North Carolina indie rock legends recently reunited for some touring, and decided to hit the studio for new music. "Raleigh Days" is their first new song in over twenty years. It's a little more straightforward rock than their more classic material, and maybe a little less noisy and quirky. In other words, exactly what we should expect from a reunited 90's indie rock band. It's catchy as hell, and has a little twang to it that I wouldn't have expected. "Raleigh Days" is a solid track that holds up with the best classic Archers of Loaf, and let's all hope we get more.

You can listen to "Raleigh Days" below. It's available now via Merge Records on Archers of Loaf's Bandcamp. For more on Archers of Loaf, check out their website.

Sammy Brue - "Teenage Mayhem"

Photo via Facebook

We got sucked into Sammy Brue's mainstream take on Americana back in 2017. He wasn't rewriting the genre, but he was completely nailing it in a way that was impossible not to like. Now the newly eighteen Brue is back, and he's trying out some new things. "Teenage Mayhem" keeps some of the Americana twang intact, but just slightly in the guitar. The rest of the song is a buzzsaw of mid-90's post grunge rock mayhem. It's pounding drums and teen angst mixed with a tiny bit of country making a still mainstream sound despite being unlike any music being made today.

You can watch the video for "Teenage Mayhem" below. Crash Test Kid, the new album from Sammy Brue, will be out June 12 on New West Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Sammy Brue, check out his website.

Tricky featuring Anika - "Lonely Dancer"

Trip hop legend Tricky is back with a new single and an upcoming EP. "Lonely Dancer" is an impossibly chill track, the kind Tricky can only pull off. It's the kind of song that just weighs on you with melancholy, but it's still a beautiful song you'll want to listen to on repeat. Berlin based singer Anika takes vocal duties on the song, and her voice perfectly matches the music and mood of the song.

You can listen to "Lonely Dancer" below. Tricky's new EP, 20, 20, will be out on March 6 on Tricky's False Idols label. You can pre-order the three song EP here. For more on Tricky, check out his website. Current tour dates are below the song.

April 22 - Warsaw, PL - Niebo
April 23 - Krakow, PL - Kwadrat Klub Studencki
April 24 - Wroclaw, PL - Zaklete Rewiry
April 26 - Budapest, HU - A38 Ship
April 27 - Zagreb, HR - Mochvara
April 28 - Rijeka, HR - Pogon Koolture
April 29 - Belgrade, SRB - Dom Omladine
May 1 - Cluj-Napoca - RO - /FORM
May 2 - Bucharest, RO - Quantic Club

Answering Machine - "Bad Luck"

You know you're old when you read about a band started by two public school teachers and think that sounds cool. That's the origin story of Brooklyn's Answering Machine, and the two teachers are singer Samantha and guitarist JD. Their new single "Bad Luck" is this brilliant blend of pop punk mixed with American roots music. According to their press release, "Their influences range everywhere from The Replacements, The Ramones, Blondie, The Ronettes, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, and Bruce Springsteen to Jenny Lewis, Against Me, and plenty in between." I wouldn't normally include a list of influences in a review, especially since the lists in a press release don't normally sound anything like the band, but you can truly hear every single one of those bands in "Bad Luck." This is the rare type of pop punk that you can listen to as a grown up without being embarrassed or feeling creepy.

You can watch the video for "Bad Luck" below. Answering Machine's debut album, also called Bad Luck, will be out April 17 on Wiretap Records. For more on Answering Machine, check them out on Facebook.

Es - "Chemical"

Photo by Max Warren

When I saw that Es was considered "synth punk" in their press release, I didn't expect the London band to be this hard or noisy. Synths always seem fun, or at least dark and mopey to me. But "Chemical" is an absolute thrasher. It's loud, and heavy, and just a killer punk track that just happens to have a swirling, hypnotic synth throughout. This combination creates a sense of confusion and chaos that might be perfect.

Vocalist Maria Cecilia Tedemalm explains the song: "The song was written during a period of emotional and physical fatigue when everything felt overwhelming. The lyrics directly reflect the downfall of living within a capitalist societal structure which pushes people to their very limit, where striving for being constantly productive and overachieving can take over your life completely." 

You can watch the video for "Chemical" below. Less of Everything, the debut album from Es, will be out April 3 on Upset the Rhythm. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Es, check them out on Facebook and Bandcamp.

Cayley Thomas - "Blue Jean Baby"

Photo by Michael Kuby

Edmonton's Cayley Thomas has crafted the type of song we never thought we needed, but now that we've heard it, we're desperate for more. "Blue Jean Baby" might sound like a more mainstream Americana song at first (and if it were, it would still be a fantastic song), but as it progresses this lovely blend of dream pop and indie rock slowly starts weaving its way in. It's a hybrid that sounds like it would be an absolute trainwreck, but in Thomas's hands it's perfection.

As for the subject matter of the song, I'll let Thomas explain: "'Blue Jean Baby' explores the pattern of feeling responsible for the emotions or actions of others at the expense of our own wellness. It’s like when you’re on an airplane and they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first before assisting other passengers."

You can watch the video for "Blue Jean Baby" below. How Else Can I Tell You?, the upcoming album from Cayley Thomas, will be out on May 1. For more on Cayley Thomas, check her out on Facebook and Twitter.

Middle-Aged Queers - "Gary's Making Biscuits"

Haling from Oakland, CA, "queercore sensations" Middle-Aged Queers have a new song out called "Gary's Making Biscuits." Literally a song about a cat "making biscuits," it's a just barely one minute punk jam about a cat.

If that's not enough to get you to listen, maybe these gems from their press release will: "Crawling out of the primordial ooze of punk past, Middle-Aged Queers are a quartet of Jurassic Punx barreling down Interstate 580 on a mission to save Rock ‘n’ Roll with broken limbs and gear held together with duct tape." Also: "Seasoned veterans of DIY-Punk, Middle-Aged Queers feature ex-members of bands such as Flipper, Fang, Yaphet Kotto, Bread and Circuits, The Cost, Wet-Nap, Saviours, The Shudders, S.P.A.G., The Insaints, and No Alternative." If you're still not listening, I don't even know who you are any more.

You can watch the video for "Gary's Making Biscuits" below. Too Fag for Love, the debut album from Middle-Aged Queers, will be out March 14 on Outpunx/Sell the Heart Records. You can pre-order it here. For more on Middle-Aged Queers, check them out on Facebook.