If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Bob Vylan Album : Bob Vylan Presents The Price of Life Quick Thoughts : As I play a little long weekend catch-up, I tripped up on Bob Vylan and had my mind blown away. This British duo gives a real Public Enemy by way of Rage Against the Machine fronted by Dizzie Rascal sort of thing, and it comes together as loud, angry, and unapologetic. You don't have to agree with them to enjoy what's here, but the whole package from lyrics to presentation demands real attention. I don't see how this won't end up one of my favorites of the year, because it's that good. Drop whatever it is you're doing and listen to this album. Songs of Note : "Big Man," "He Sold Guns," "Wicked & Bad," "Pretty Songs," "Whatchugonnado?" Artist : Georgia Harmer Album : Stay in Touch Quick Thoughts : It's tricky to take Canadian singer-songwriters and not simply compare them to their predecessors, and it's difficul...

Photo by Fredrika Eriksson Sweden's Sarah Klang has a new single out that sounds much more American than European, although it reminds me of a non-American artist. "Belly Shots" is a ballad that is steeped in 60's pop, but with a strong country/Americana feel to it, mostly in the guitars. It creates this easy going and captivating sound, although most of your focus is going to be on Klang's vocals. She just sucks the listener in with her quiet singing. "Belly Shots" is a mesmerizing blend of Americana mixed with retro 60's pop cool and modern alt-pop. It's like a combination of Julia Jacklin and early Molly Burch. Sarah Klang says that  “'Belly Shots' is about leaving your 20’s behind. A very much overrated time in your life, it turned out.” You can watch the video for "Belly Shots" below. The song is out now on Pangur Records. For more on Sarah Klang, check out the artist's website .

When I'm writing about a band, I like to have a unique perspective on them and not just mirror what is written in their press release or in pull quotes from other publications. But, as I was listening to the latest single from Sweden's Sweet Teeth, I kept thinking it sounded like Husker Du meets Dinosaur Jr. Reading their press release after, they kept being compared to both of those bands. Sometimes you just can't avoid what everyone else is saying. "No Me" just has that gruff but kinda poppy early alternative punk rock of both Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr. Plus it includes a guitar solo that just sounds like a J Mascis solo, and singer Andreas Axelson has more than a little of a Bob Mould thing going on in his vocals. Of course, if you're going to sound like other bands you could do a lot worse than Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr. Sweet Teeth says of their new song: "’No me’ was, if we remember correctly, the second song we ever wrote and you can sort of hear t...

Lou Barlow has been making music for almost forty years now, but we haven't quite heard anything like his newest release. Credited to Lou Barlow and Company, Barlow has teamed with Eat Fire Spring for two new songs. "Only Fading" sounds solidly like Lou Barlow, but not quite what we've heard from him in the past. It certainly doesn't sound like Dinosaur Jr, Sentridoh, The Folk Implosion, or his folkier solo work. It sounds the most like Bakesale or Harmacy era Sebadoh, even though that doesn't fully explain the sound. Maybe it's more like his solo work, but a more rock version of that sound. But at this point in his career it's exciting to hear an artist like Barlow be able to change things up like this! You can listen to "Only Fading" below. The song is available as a single with the B-side "Sacrifice" over at Bandcamp . For more on Lou Barlow, check out the artist's Twitter and Facebook . Only Fading b/w Sacrifice by Lou Barl...

Photo by Georgia Smith So far we've brought you two songs from Chicago's Aunt Kelly: "Billboard Lady" and "Nurturing." While both are power pop songs, "Nurturing" was more alt-rock and "Billboard Lady" was more piano based pop that sounded like it could have been from musical theater. "Worse For You" is right in the middle. It's definitely a piano driven power pop song, but there is enough guitar to keep it still an alt-rocker. That being said, "Worse For You" is an upbeat pop song that is propelled by Kelly Hannemann's charm. Of course, with any upbeat pop-ish song that I like, the song's subject matter isn't quite as cheery as it sounds. The song is about living with bipolar disorder and how that impacts those around you. You can watch the video for "Worse For You" below. Remember is due out June 10. For more on Aunt Kelly, check out the band's Facebook .

Photo by Sophie Hur Brooklyn's Momma have released a single that is going to be intensely nostalgic for those of us in our early to mid-forties. "Lucky" has that mid-90's alt-rock power pop sound that was all the rage then. Think bands like Weezer and Veruca Salt. It's all crunchy guitars and slacker solos. It's the kind of song that is deceptively heavy even though it's mid-tempo but filled with dreamy pop hooks. Plus, never before has anyone sung in a 90's slacker style as well as Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten do here. This song is much more poppy than we would have ever admitted in 1995, but this would have gone straight to the Buzz Bin back in the day. Etta Friedman says of the new song: “I wrote it after my significant other and I had to spend an unknown amount of time apart from each other on opposite sides of the country. I wanted it to feel anthemic, like a sappy and sentimental love song, but I still wanted to speak on how exciting it f...

I almost skipped this show. With all of the horrific events of this week, I was in a fog all day Wednesday. I had little to zero motivation to do anything at work and just kind of went through the motions of my daily life. I certainly didn't expect to enjoy myself watching live music, and figured I might as well spend my evening doom scrolling while half paying attention to whatever I watched on TV. But... I headed into Cambridge and it ended up being just what I needed. Somehow, even though I've been going to concerts in the Boston area regularly for over twenty five years and I've been listening to folk consistently for over ten, this was only my second time going to Club Passim. For those of you who don't know, Club Passim opened in 1958 as Club 47 and is just a legendary folk venue in Harvard Square. It's commencement week at Harvard, and as I walked through groups of graduating students and their parents, their cheer and hopefulness was fairly contagious. I...

Photo by Josh Beavers Goon feel like one of those bands I should know a lot better. Their latest single, "Angelnumber 1210," has a bit of a shoegaze or dream pop feel to it, but a much more organic version without that giant wall of fuzz shoegaze tends to have. But there is also an element of a more straightforward alt-rock sound, as well as more of an art rock vibe. Somehow "Angelnumber 1210" pulls off this bizarre sound that is relatively accessible while still having a unique and completely indie, non-mainstream thing going for it. It's like an odd combination of My Bloody Valentine, Pixies, and Neutral Milk Hotel, and that's just scratching the surface. Frontman Kenny Baker explains the new song: “My wife has always had a fondness for the number 1210, we always notice it when it pops up, and she even has it tattooed. I love being open to patterns and numbers like that. I don’t really believe that numbers have inherent prophetic meanings, but I do think t...

Los Angeles's Chelsea Rose has been described as a "sophisticated pop" artist. Her latest single, "Fallin'," truly encapsulates that description. It's a mostly spoken word song that leans towards the poetic side of spoken word. Rose's vocals have this easygoing intensity with a backdrop of a modern take on a 60's groovy bossa nova sound. It's the kind of style that feels both completely current while being retro cool. Chealse Rose's debut solo album could be an absolute treat once we get to hear it. Chelsea Rose says of her new single: "I never intended to write a spoken word song, but this one just came out that way, so I went with it. "Fallin'" tells the story of falling in love while out on the road; it tells the story of closeness, distance, longing, and an eventual ending of falling back into loneliness. Sometimes when I'm crushed and really going through heartbreak, writing is the only way to process and heal....

Photo by Tiffany Smith I AM is Isiah Collier on saxophone and Michael Shekwoaga Ode on drums. The closest genre their music is would be jazz, but they transcend that label with their music. Their latest single, "Bend of the Universe (Trust With All Your Heart)," is an experimental freak out with roots in jazz while still reaching past the confines of any one genre. At times the song is strange and discordant, but there's just something about it that will keep sucking you in. The sounds of saxophone and drums swirl around each other throughout the song, taking turns leading each other through this intense musical experiment. You can watch the video for "Bend of the Universe (Trust With All Your Heart)" below. Beyond is due out June 10 on Division 81 Records, and can be pre-ordered here . 

Artist : Subjective Album : The Start of No Regret Quick Thoughts : When it comes to British breakbeat/drum'n'bass stuff, few are as great at it as Goldie is. Since he hit the scene in the 1990s, he's put out consistently solid material, and this new collaborative album with James Davidson is rock solid. Different enough to stand out, but familiar enough nonetheless, it hits its mark perfectly. If you're an electronic music fan, you owe it to yourself to listen to this one. Songs of Note : "Lost," "Breakout," "Reflection" Artist : Tess Parks Album : And Those Who Were Seen Dancing Quick Thoughts : Tess Parks made her debut album in 2013, and we haven't heard much from her solo since then. She has collaborated with Brian Jonestown Massacre singer Anton Newcombe on a few albums, though, and this sophomore individual effort definitely has shades of the stoner drone style and influence. I really and truly loved this listen, and I...

If you're not excited about Andrea Gillis and Tanya Donelly working on a song together, I don't know what to tell you. "About a Girl" is a perfect song for both Gillis and Donelly. It's a mainstream singer/songwriter, folk adjacent pop/rock song. It's right on the edge of being fully pop, but Gillis keeps just enough edge in her voice to keep it rock. Plus, I don't think anyone could ever complain about hearing Tanya Donelly's vocals for back up. Gillis's grit and Donelly's dream like harmonies make a stellar combination. Andrea Gillis says of her new single: "This song is about a girl; a girl in your world likely to forget... "I wrote this tune not only with myself in mind, but also for all the girls that never really wanted to do the whole 'gotta be sexy so people will pay attention thing.' Though it is unavoidable, we all go through the phase, uncomfortably. We just do our thing. "Hanging with our pals, rockin' out...

Photo by Atiba Jefferson Chicago's Dehd are absolute masters of that newfangled punk that is infused with a ton of pop hooks without being even remotely pop punk. Their latest single, "Window," is this song that slowly builds into an absolute epic. It starts off slow and just builds and builds with all the power of a band like Pulp or U2, but a lower scale punk pop version. It's as catchy as possible without being too saccharine, and even had more than just a hint of an edge. And it does all this while remaining mostly a ballad. Dehd are the kind of band that are going to be huge by this time next year. Emily Kempf says the new song is about "...  “being obsessed with true love and the construct of ‘the one.’ I wrote it to address my addition to the terrible and wonderful pursuit of perfect love.” You can watch the NSFW-ish video for "Window" below. Blue Skies is due out May 27 on Fat Possum. You can pre-save/pre-order the album here . For more on Dehd,...

Photo by Em Joseph Brooklyn's Frances Chang just released one of the most sonically interesting songs of the year. "support your local nihilist" is either an art punk song masquerading as a pop song or a pop song masquerading as an art punk song. Chang's vocals are pure pop, almost like the Top 40 kind but probably a little too indie pop... most of the time. But this single couldn't be considered pop by any stretch of the imagination. It's an absurdly noisy song that's structure devolves completely by the end. It's just buzzing guitars that eventually just implode. What's bizarre is how much harmony exists in "support your local nihilist." This is the kind of song you're going to either love or hate, but you'll at least find it intriguing either way. You can watch the video for "support your local nihilist" below. The album support your local nihilist is due out July 22 on destiny is a dog and can be pre-ordered through ...

It's been a little while since we've heard from Mamalarky. On their new single, the band keeps a little bit more of the psychedelia meets R&B sound they had on "Will I See U?," last year's collaboration with Benet. "You Know I Know" is a little but more pop than the previous single, and goes towards psychedelic pop. There is still enough noise in here for indie rock fans, particularly in the clangy guitar. Yeah, that's right, Mamalarky makes guitars clang in a pop song. It's a truly unique sound coming from a band that's starting to be known for surprising us over their short two year span of being a band. Livvy Bennett says of the new song: "'You Know I Know' was never supposed to come out,  but my bandmates told me it would make for a great single. I accidentally wrote a rock banger that sounded like it could have come out in 2007, like MGMT meets Weezer meets Sheryl Crow.  "The song is about growing up in Texas and ha...

Bob Mould and J. Robbins are both legendary punk rockers who have been doing solo work as of late. The two are currently on a tour together showing the different ways punk rockers can go solo in different styles. Sunday night they came to Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, and I could not resist checking it out. First of all, I have to say that I love how fantastic music venues are popping up in cities and towns not really known as huge music hubs. Places like Hawks and Reed and NOVA Arts in Keene are great alternatives to every concert being in Boston or Providence. Not dealing with traffic and having plenty of parking is never a bad thing, and these venues are first class and not just a PA in the corner of a rec center. I'm much less familiar with J. Robbins, either as a solo artist or with Jawbox. (I know, I know... I need to listen to Jawbox more.) Robbins is doing the more traditional punk goes solo thing. His set was seated with an acoustic guitar. He even brought along c...

Photo by Lauren Mangini I'm not a huge metal guy, but I grew up in the 1980's so I have to have at least a little bit of an appreciation for the genre. Every now and then, a band just clicks with me. Officer X are one of those. The Boston band's new single, "Moon Man," sounds like classic heavy metal. This song is back when metal could be fun instead of trying to be scary and lacking anything resembling melody. Maybe it's just that singer Rodrigo van Stoli (who was also in Bang Camaro, which makes perfect sense) sounds a lot like Joey Belladonna, but "Moon Man" reminds me a lot of classic 80's Anthrax. It has that epic sound is a little but more fun that trying to be badass. Rodrigo van Stoli says of the new song: “I wrote the lyrics after reading The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall , an 1835 short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a businessman from Rotterdam who runs into all kinds of trouble with clients and creditors, and dec...