If It's Too Loud...

Most of the seven members of Twat Union were living together in South East London and joked about forming a punk band. A year later, they were asked if they knew any punk bands for an event and decided to form a band. Now they're releasing their debut single, "UTI," a song about urinary tract infections. This might just be the most fun song about UTIs ever recorded. The song opens with the line "I had sex now I'm on antibiotics," and just goes from there. "UTI" is going to get them compared to Wet Leg, mostly because of their home country, sense of humor, and insanely catchiness, but Twat Union have much more of a punk edge to their sound. Even if you'd typically bristle from the subject matter, "UTI" is going to end up as one of your favorite songs of the year. Front woman Kate Mac says of her band's new single: "...  people don’t talk about UTIs very much, but most of us have had them, and most of us hate them (no kink-sham...

Photo by Mel Butler I associate The Jesus and Mary Chain with the 90's so strongly that I always forget Jim and William Reid started the band in the 1980's. Next year marks their fortieth anniversary of their debut single, so they've announced a new album, an autobiography, and a UK and European tour. The first single off the album, "ramcod," is out now, and despite being around for forty years, we're happy to report that The Jesus and Mary Chain haven't slowed down at all. The song mixes the classic shoegaze sound of the band with the 90's electronic music they dabble in, and it sounds like vintage Jesus and Mary Chain, just a classic song that sounds modern at the same time. It's rare to get excited about a band's upcoming album four decades into a career, but most bands aren't The Jesus and Mary Chain. You can watch the video for "ramcod" below. Glasgow Eyes is due out March 8 on Fuzz Club and can be pre-ordered here . For more...

Photo by Jillian Clark I'm a bit of a Lydia Loveless superfan, so I'm always thrilled when she plays up in Boston. I was lucky enough to see her two nights in a row way back in 2015, but then her dates just didn't work for me, and... you know... the pandemic. I saw her opening for Drive-By Truckers last year solo, and back in May I saw her play down in Providence with her band on a day off from a DBT tour. Once I saw she was playing The Middle East, I knew I had to go. Seeing that Reese McHenry was opening, who we haven't heard from since 2019 and I've never seen live just sweetened the deal. Lydia Loveless has been avoiding the "alt-country" label for almost ten years. The last time she could have been considered alt-country was 2014's Somewhere Else . Since then she's been dabbling more in the worlds of pop and indie rock, and if anyone was looking forward to an evening of alt-country songs, Loveless and her band dispelled that with the opening s...

Photo by Vanessa Sollner Essex based Pet Needs have released a new song that is fast and abrasive punk wrapped around a gushy love song. "Separation Anxiety" is a melodic punk song that speeds through the verses and gets even faster for the guitar solo, but slows down a bit for the chorus. It's a fun, breakneck speed love song that reminds me of the Buzzcocks. Punk love songs are nothing new, but they are rarely this hard or fast. Even the legends get at least a little softer for a love song, but apparently no one sent Pet Needs the memo. Frontman Johnny Marriott says of the new song: “‘Separation Anxiety’ is an unconventional, subverted love song about my wife Lorna.  We have been together almost 15 years and had never spent more than two weeks apart until last year. I know Lorna would absolutely cringe at anything too over-sincere, so shouting that I love her more than anyone else does is more her style!” You can watch the video for "Separation Anxiety" below....

When a band is compared to both Sonic Youth and The Chemical Brothers in their press release, I'm going to be intrigued. It sounds impossible to pull off, but France's UTO somehow do it. Their latest single, "Zombie," has that giant 90's electronica heyday sound to it, but in a smaller, DIY package. There's also a sense of foreboding, as well as a darkness, that The Chemical Brothers just didn't have. It might not have the all out noise and aggression of Sonic Youth, but that is where they get the darkness from. It's an interesting and unique sound that is sure to make you want to groove once you get past the initial confusion. You can watch the video for "Zombie" below. The single is out now via InFine. For more on UTO, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Jono White A lot of bands have been creating this new world that includes indie rock and pop music lately, and we've been fully on board with the sound. Our latest discovery in the genre is Lime Garden. The Brighton based quartet recently released "I Want to Be You," which is an upbeat and dreamy new song. The song seems to swirl around the listener. It's an undeniably poppy and catchy song, but there's just the slightest edge to it to keep the song from dipping too far into pop. Lime Garden get compared to artists like Wet Leg and Dry Cleaning, but I'm also hearing the lighter side of Mannequin Pussy, too. Right now, Lime Garden are poised to be the next big thing of 2024, but we'll have to wait a little bit to find that out. Vocalist/rhythm guitarist Chloe Howard says of her band's upcoming album: “A lot of the songs are about just being kind of miserable. We all have this double life. There’s this incredible journey that we're going on ...

Photo by 1upcloud Back in October we brought you "Snooze You Lose," the latest single from Toronto psych-goth band Hot Garbage. Now they're back with "Mystery." I described the previous single as a cross between early Sonic Youth, A Place to Bury Strangers, and The Jesus & Mary Chain. "Mystery" still has the dark shoegaze sound of The Jesus & Mary Chain, but has more of the psychobilly and punk sound of The Cramps. It's a great mixture of sounds perfect for fans of shoegaze, punk, or just dark music in general. I hesitate to call this song fun, but it is in its own way. You can watch the video for "Mystery" below. Precious Dream is due out January 19 on Mothland and Exag' Records, and is available for pre-ordered here . For more on Hot Garbage, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .. 

Boston garage/punk legends The Dogmatics are having a bit of a revival lately, at least in part due to the film The Dogmatics: A Dogumentary . They've recently released a new single, "I Can't Get Over You." This one is more vintage garage rock and early rock and roll than punk. It has a little bit of the punk edge you'd expect from The Dogmatics, but it could easily be a song from a Nuggets  compilation. "I Can't Get Over You" just has that timeless quality to it that the best garage rock/power pop has. It's catchy and fun, and while it might not be a punk rager, it's hardly the easy listening style song that many middle aged punk veterans release these days. You can watch the lyric video for "I Can't Get Over You" below. The song is available now as a single via Rum Bar Records, and can be downloaded through Bandcamp . For more on The Dogmatics, check out the band's website .

The Sheila Divine and Orbit are bands I've been a fan of for roughly a quarter of a century. They're not fully active bands, so seeing them can be spotty. The Sheila Divine seem to be playing annual shows around Thanksgiving at this point, and while Orbit has played live somewhat recently, I believe the last time I saw them might have been at The Sheila Divine's very first farewell shows at the Paradise many, many years ago. When I saw the pair were playing together the night before Thanksgiving this year, it became a can't miss show. Orbit came out to a clip of them on 120 Minutes where Matt Pinfield introduced their video for "Come Inside." It's kind of easy to remember that Orbit were a pretty big deal and quite buzzworthy in 1995, and this was a great reminder. Opening with "Come Inside" and following that with "Bicycle Song" made me feel like Orbit was frontloading their set a bit too much, but it's easy to forget just how many...

According to their press release, Argonaut "... are a London indie band with a love for DIY fuzzy pop and wonky analog synths." Their latest single, "The Vulnerables," is a joyful pop song that would have fit right at home with the music of the mid 90's. It's not quite standard Britpop, but lives more in the middle of the Britpop bands of the day and the American alt-power pop that existed at the same time. I'm hearing a blend of Elastica, Sleeper, The Rentals, and Fountains of Wayne. It's an undeniably charming and compelling song that is going to suck you in, whether you want it to or not. Nathan of Argonaut explains the band's current writing process: “ At band practices we each write song titles on slips of paper & put them in the hat. One is then picked at random. We jam around that title & see what alchemy occurs. Most times the magic flows & the combined band chemistry creates something we are really pleased with .” You can wat...

Czarface, the hip hop supergroup comprised of Inspectah Deck, Esoteric, and 7L, have a new album due out Friday, but for those of us who can't wait that long, there's a new single out now. "Czarchimedes' Death Ray" isn't just one of the best song titles in recent memory. Czarface has always explored the worlds where hip hop and nerd culture meet, and this song is no exception. They're one of the few groups that truly doesn't sound quite like anyone else. This is a fun and clever hip hop song that proves hip hop with skills can exist, and not just be a novelty act. Czarface are going to be blowing up a lot of journalists' pre-made year end lists this week. Esoteric says of the new single: “We’re back with that off-kilter no filter.  Czar never resorts to conventional weaponry, thus the illustrious Death Ray – a sonic homage to the Greek mathematician Archimedes.”  You can watch the lyric video for "Czarchimedes' Death Ray" below. Czart...

Hailing from Michigan, Bronson Arm are a two-piece noise punk band that makes more noise than you thought two people could ever make. Their latest single, "One with the Floor," is a loud, sludgy mess of a song (and we mean that as a compliment!) It has a thunderous and in your face sound, and instead of loud/quiet/loud it's more heavy/softer/heavy since even the softer parts are loud and plod along menacingly. If I'm going to compare it to any existing artists, I'm going to go with The Jesus Lizard meets The Melvins. "One with the Floor" just grabs you and refuses to let go. You can listen to "One with the Floor" below. Bronson Arm's debut self-titled album is due out January 12 on Learning Curve Records, and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on Bronson Arm, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . S/T by Bronson Arm

White Flamingo has one of the coolest sounds in modern electronic music. His new two song EP, Kulumbia EP , is a mixture of modern American electronic music with cumbia rhythms. The song "Kulumbia" is relatively laid back, but it's still sure to inspire movement. That's followed up with "Yuca," which "... poignantly evokes African life and influence in the music of America." Both tracks are fun and highly dance-friendly without being overpowering. White Flamingo is taking multiple styles and genres of music and blending them so expertly that it's nearly impossible to tell how much is being melded together. You can listen to Kulumbia EP below. It is out now on Mamboz Records, and can be downloaded through Bandcamp . For more on White Flamingo, check out the artist on Facebook . Kulumbia EP by White Flamingo

One thing we music writers love is a good story, and sometimes that comes in the form of a mystery. Wisp is a nineteen year old artist making shoegaze in San Francisco, and that's just about all we know about them. Their latest single, "Your face," is a little more pop based than we typically get with the genre, but aside from that it's just a pure shoegaze track. The pop sound might be the vocals, since they're more of a whispered pop sound than what you typically get with shoegaze or indie rock. The song is also a little more aggressive than you get with this musical style, so it's kind of like Deftones teaming up with Mazzy Star. You can watch the video for "Your face" below. For more on Wisp, check out the artist on Instagram and TikTok .

Image via Facebook Sometimes you just want some punk rock and roll. If you're in that kind of mood, you should check out the latest from Fast Eddy. "Spirit Commander" is just fast paced, fist pumping rock music. It lands somewhere in the world between garage and punk rock, with just a tiny bit of glam shine on it. This is the kind of song that just belongs in a dive bar. Fast Eddy are no nonsense rock and rollers, and "Spirit Commander" is just going to latch itself to your lizard brain and refuse to let go. You can listen to "Spirit Commander" below. To the Stars is due out February 2024 on Spaghetty Town Records. For more on Fast Eddy, check out the band's website .

Photo by Oozfos Hailing from France, Ni are not going to be for everyone. The press release for their latest single, "Chicot," describes them as math rock, and that may be true but the song is a bit more. It's this burst of bizarre noise rock that comes bursting into your life, and may not be able to leave right away. "Chicot" reminds me of Lightning Bolt meets The Minutemen, but maybe with some classic rock guitar in there at times. It's a weird indie rock meets noise rock meets math rock meets experimental song that can just be a killer rock tune if you stop getting hung up on it. Guitarist Francois Mignot says of the new song: "The beginning of the track is super tense and nervous, using only dissonances, successions and superimpositions of notes close together, drawing a sort of grating melody. To accentuate this incisive edge, the guitar sounds remain clear, and saturation doesn't arrive until later in the track. The rhythm, which is omnipresen...

We just wrote about Matilde Heckler last week when they opened for Razor Braids, but considering they just released a brand new single last Friday, you get to hear about them again. "Pretty" is the last from the Berklee graduate and electric violin player. It's a stunning song that leans into the world of alt-pop. It's a song about a rather unhealthy relationship, so as beautiful as it can be, it's a difficult listen. "Pretty" is just pure, raw emotion in the form of a violin heavy pop-rock song. Heckler has released a truly powerful song that a lot of people should hear. You can listen to "Pretty" below. For more on Matilde Heckler, check out the artist's website .

Artist : Blockhead Album : The Aux Quick Thoughts : Hip-hop instrumentalist and oftentime Aesop Rock collaborator is back with an awesome listen with beats as good as the raps that go along with them. "Mississippi" is legitimately a song of the fall contender, and the whole thing works incredibly well, all things considered. This would be worth the time in a busy week, and is mandatory as we approach the winter slowdown. Songs of Note : "Mississippi," "Ponzu Sauce," "Sad Vampire," "Gargamel" Artist : The Polyphonic Spree Album : Salvage Enterprise Quick Thoughts : I remember when there was a time where The Polyphonic Spree was a force of nature with a million members and soaring, anthemic songs. They didn't do anything significant for a while, came back with an album that I quickly forgot about in 2021, and now it's 2023 and Salvage Enterprise is perhaps the return to form we've been waiting a decade-plus for. It...

Photo by Devan Skaggs Victoria Bigelow has been compared to Mazzy Star quite a bit in her career. She decided to lean into it with a cover of their immortal track "Fade Into You." Covering such an iconic song can be tricky, but Bigelow pulls it off perfectly. Her love of the song is obvious, but she does change it up slightly. It's a little less dream pop or shoegaze, and instead has more of a rootsy/Americana feel. That's not to say this is a folk version of "Fade Into You," but she does inject a little bit of twang into the song. As someone who considers the original an example of a perfect song, Victoria Bigelow delivers a fantastic rendition. Victoria Bigelow says of  “I’m a huge Mazzy Star fan and Hope Sandoval is one of my most important musical influences. The decision to cover this song was a last minute thing but it feels all too serendipitous with this year being the 30th anniversary of  So Tonight That I Might See . It was produced by my husband, ...

Photo by Ken Sears I have been a huge fan of The Pharcyde for thirty years now. I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Bizarre Ride II , and it was one of those albums I bought less than an hour after hearing it. Back in the 90's, Boston wasn't exactly a live hip hop destination with many venues reluctant to book rap artists. The only way I got to see The Pharcyde live was back in 1996 when they opened for Korn, which was not exactly the ideal way to see them. The closest I came after that was twelve (?) years ago when Slimkid3 and Fatlip toured as Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde with J-Swift and LA Jay. (The Pharcyde at that point was Bootie Brown and Imani.) Last year, Slimkid3, Fatlip, and Imani reunited as The Far Side (formerly of The Pharcyde), but didn't make it to anywhere in New England. As soon as they announced a run of New England shows, I knew I had to go. As excited as I was to see a reunited The Pharcyde, I was more than a little hesitant. Were th...

For those unaware, Death are the Detroit protopunk band from the 1970's formed by three brothers, and the subject of the 2012 documentary A Band Called Death. Rough Francis are a Burlington, VT based garage rock band formed by the sons and nephews of Death. The two bands have been teasing working together on social media recently, and the first phase of that is a split single. Death's contribution is "World In Disguise," a blistering protopunk sound with just a bit of psychedelia mixed in. This is a band that was at the forefront of the genre, and continues to be with a single like this. Their peers have slowed down, but "World In Disguise" could have been released fifty years ago, if it wasn't for the production being a little more slick. Rough Francis' contribution is "Haunted," which is just pure Rough Francis. It's the mixture of skate punk meets garage rock that we love about these guys. They're one of the bands on my personal ...

Poster by Daykamp Creative Just about every year I go see Letters to Cleo's annual homecoming run of shows at the Paradise in Boston, and every year I have a great time. Despite that, I always assume that I've seen them enough times, and I can take a year or two off. But... I keep getting sucked back in the next year, and I end up yet again having a great time. This year's run of shows featured the thirtieth anniversary of their debut album Aurora Gory Alice  and the return of Gigolo Aunts, so I simply could not resist. Gigolo Aunts have not played a show in ten years, and I don't think I've seen them since their original run in the 90's (probably playing with Letters to Cleo). For a band that hasn't played together in a decade, and played as a full time band in probably two decades, they sounded great. Songs like "Where I Find My Heaven" and "Gun" (which they said they haven't played in about thirty years) have not aged at all and so...

Willi Carlisle makes traditional country/folk that doesn't quite sound like anyone else. His latest single, "When the Pills Wear Off," has all of the elements of a classic folk song. There are even strings all over the song, but Carlisle just has his own thing going on to make it stand far out from the pack of current folk artists. Plus, as lovely as the song sounds, it's about losing friends to addictions. It's a mournful song that has just a little bit of a sense of humor to it. Everything about "When the Pills Wear Off" goes against everything else about the song, but things like that are why we love Willi Carlisle. Willi Carlisle says of his latest single: “It’s kind of about getting a little older, moving from hard drugs and hookups to bedroom sex and pharmaceuticals. It’s an amalgam of queer stories that I’ve heard, lived, and seen.” You can listen to "When the Pills Wear Off" below. Critterland is due out January 26 on Signature Sounds, ...

Photo by Carissa Johnson Boston punk/rock and roll legends The Nervous Eaters have been enjoying a career resurgence lately, and songs like their latest show why. "Talkk" has a classic rock feel to it, but it's not like what we typically hear from the band. This new song combines classic 70's California AM radio rock with an early punk edge. I don't think I've ever written that about any other band, which makes sense since those sounds are diametrically to each other, but Nervous Eaters make it work in the coolest way possible. It's like garage rock and punk are filtered through a bit of a hippie lens. It's cool to see a band this many decades into their career play around with their sound like this, but that's why we love Nervous Eaters. Front man Steve Cataldo says of the band's new song: “TALKK is very much along the lines of the NERVOUS EATERS song CHAD, heard on our 'Wicked Cool LP - Monsters and Angels'. The narrative explains a b...

Photo by kristixman Worcester's Gut Health have one of the more interesting sounds coming out of central Massachusetts on their debut single. "Runaway High" has a classic loud/quiet loud vibe going, but not in the traditional way of Nirvana or the Pixies. The song does have the guitar sound of classic Nirvana, but they also bring in the more melodic elements of Deftones. It's a crunching powerhouse of a song with guitars that buzz at times, and are more melodic at others. That being said, the song does keep a surprising sense of beauty throughout, even at it's more noisy times. It's an impressive debut from a band that came out of nowhere for us, and one that we need to hear more from sooner than later. You can listen to "Runaway High" below. The song is currently available via Bandcamp. For more on Gut Health, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . RUNAWAY HIGH by GUT HEALTH

Photo via Facebook Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight also moonlight as a Siouxsie & The Banshees cover band (Gretchen & The Banshees, obviously), and their latest single leans into their influence. "Safehouse" has more of a darker, gothic rock sound than we're used to from the more rock oriented Middle Eight. There is still plenty of rock in "Safehouse," particularly a crunchy guitar, but this one sounds much more akin to 80's alternative rock than they usually do. This one is an absolute anthem. It's not quite in power ballad territory, but it's a mid-tempo power ballad adjacent anthem. You can listen to "Safehouse" below. For more on Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . Safehouse by Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight

Photo by Ken Marcou Despite being from Boston, The Magic City don't sound like a Boston band at all. The band's debut single, "Roadrunner Vs. Your Mother," has more of a British sound than American. You're going to hear the early Britpop of Suede and Pulp mixed with the glam of David Bowie and T-Rex. As you can imagine, "Roadrunner Vs. Your Mother" doesn't sound like anything else from 2023. Everything about the song screams early 90's, back before Britpop had truly taken over the airwaves. The most modern thing about the sound is the slick production. The Magic City have a winner on their hands with this one, and we're looking forward to whatever they do next. Vocalist David Jackel says of the new song: “I got the idea for it while getting ice cream with my five-year-old daughter Bronwyn. We had just watched the original Parent Trap , and I was explaining to her why real parents would never do what those parents did, and that they were actua...

The Town and the City Festival continues to be one of the best smaller festivals in the northeast, and this year's line up is stellar. Held throughout Lowell, MA, this year's festival will be held April 26 and 27. In 2024, Robyn Hitchcock returns and we'll also get long standing indie rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Americana artist Amythyst Kiah, Swedish singer-songwriter Sofia Talvik, and Boston indie pop sensations The Q-Tip Bandits. The festival also includes some of our absolute favorite local artists including Akrobatik, Burp, Colleen Green, Jen Kearney, Linnea's Garden, Muck & The Mires, One Fall, Orbit, Roger Miller, Sapling, Subpunch, The Chelsea Curve, The Shirt & Shoes, Tysk Tysk Task, and many, many more. And this is just the initial line up, with more to come in 2024! Two-day passes go on sale today at 10:00 am for the special low price of $45 until November 30. For more on The Town and the City Festival, check out the festival's website .