If It's Too Loud...

Artist : STL GLD Album : Good Music for Bad Kids Quick Thoughts : I get that Joyner Lucas gets all the regional rap love here, but at what point are we willing to admit that STL GLD is New England's best rap act? The beats are grimy and addictive, the lyricism unmatched, and the collective regularly punches above its weight. We love the act here, and Good Music is one of those records that show how deserving they are of a breakout. Songs of Note : "80's Babies," "Ayo Edebiri," 24KT," "Dances With Wolves," "The Get Up Kids," "Too Much," "The Clapper" Artist : Austra Album : Chin Up Buttercup Quick Thoughts : The opening line of "Math Equation" is probably the most brutal breakup lyric I've ever heard. It's a sad dance album in so many ways, as the cover clearly demonstrates, but as someone who has been a fan of Austra for ages now, this is one of her stronger albums. A really, really g...

I'm fairly new to the world of Die Spitz fandom. I only discovered them through their most recent album, Something to Consume , but was immediately grabbed. Sunday night I joined an interesting mix of twenty-something hipsters and middle aged metal dudes at The Sinclair when Die Spitz came roaring into town.  Reading about Die Spitz's live show, my expectations were high. I'm thrilled to say they exceeded all expectations. They were an absolute powerhouse live right from the opening song, "I hate when GIRLS die." Their show is an energetic whirlwind of sound, mostly in the metal and punk side of music, but occasionally delving into some more pop oriented sounds. They had a sense of chaos throughout their set, with singer/guitarist Ellie Livingston playing in the crowd at one point and then climbing the balcony railing at another. Chloe de St. Aubin and Ava Schrobilgen also took turns on vocals and traded guitar and drums during the show. Bassist Kate Halter seemed...

Photo by Melisa Lunar For their latest single, Mexico City's Diles Que No Me Maten have re-recorded a song off their first album. "Manos de Piedra (Revisitada)" is an intense song in a post-hardcore and indie rock style. It's filled with intense and oddly melodic music over spoken word vocals. The music is what will truly pull you in, even if you don't understand Spanish and have no idea what the lyrics are. This one is reminding me of a more earthy version of Slint. Even when the song takes an unexpected break in the middle and comes back more mellow, you're still going to be won over by the intense music of Diles Que No Me Maten. Jon ás Dérb ez (vocals/saxophone) says of his band's latest single: “​​This is an old song from our first album that we've been playing in a different way this past year. We decided to re-record it and re-release it because it felt great to see how the same ghost of that song has grown within us. It's not pretending to b...

Photo courtesy of the band Soft Skies Inc, aka the Philadelphia band consisting of twin brothers Martin and Ryan Rex who were in Boston band Lockgroove, typically make dream pop, but their latest single goes a little bit heavier than that genre usually gets. "The Point" is a driving alt-rock song that shows off the band's 90's origins. It's a driving song that grooves quite hard. It's reminding me of bands in the late 90's that were making rock music that you could dance to. Even though I'm comparing "The Point" to music from the 90's, it doesn't truly sound like a throwback song. Soft Skies Inc sound current on their latest single while it does have it's roots in that decade. This is a fun sounding one, despite the song's subject matter. Ryan Rex says of his band's latest single: “‘The Point’ is about when something that once saved you starts to drown you instead. It’s about the beautiful kind of destruction you can’t see...

Photo by Charlie & Charlie Last year we brought you a pair of singles from Man/Woman/Chainsaw, one of the more unique discoveries of 2024. Now the London band is back with "Only Girl." As diverse as they were last year, Man/Woman/Chainsaw push their sound even further with this new single. We described previous songs as being moody/theatrical and having more of a punk sound. "Only Girl" is more of a straight up alt-rock song with some elements of Adult Contemporary, but with strings. Sometimes bands can be the most surprising by going more mainstream, and that's certainly the case here. But mainstream is always a relative term, and "Only Girl" is still a Man/Woman/Chainsaw song, so it's still a fun and theatrical track. Vera Leppanen (vocals/bass) says of the band's latest single: "’Only Girl’ is our playful love song. Built around a ripping violin top-line and birthed from a grungy guitar jam, it gradually became something more boiste...

Photo by OK McCausland Ski Team, the musical project of Lucie Lozinski, has a new single out that combines lo-fi indie rock with the current crop of artists that combine the genre with modern alt-pop. "New BF" is a fast and driving song that includes all of the charm of lo-fi indie rock. It's kind of like a bedroom version of artists like Blondshell or Lucy Dacus. The song is wonderfully fuzzy and catchy, and sounds like an updated version of Sebadoh. Our only complaint is that at just under two and a half minutes, just as you realize how much you love the song, it's over. Ski Team might be the perfect bridge between 90's indie rock snobs and current indie rock snobs. Lucie Lozinski says of her latest single: “I’ve always thought it's a weird thing, saying 'congrats' when people get engaged—as though it’s an end, or an achievement." You can listen to "New BF" below. Burnout/Boys is due out January 23, and is available for pre-order here ...

Last year on November 15, I was at Deep Cuts in Medford for the fifth anniversary of Hallelujah the Hills' album I'm You. What should have been a celebratory occasion was somewhat somber as everyone in the audience was still trying to figure out if we should be having fun at that point in history. This year on November 15, I was at Deep Cuts in Medford for Hallelujah the Hills' twentieth anniversary, and this year we were able to celebrate properly.  It's a crazy feeling to me that one of my "new" bands has been around for twenty years, but I haven't been around for all of Hallelujah the Hills' two decades. I got into them around 2014's Have You Ever Done Something Evil? Because of that, I wasn't all that familiar with much of their set, which strongly focused on their earlier songs. Some songs, such as 2012's "Nightengale Lightning," I don't believe I've ever seen performed live. This was definitely a night for long term ...

Greensboro, NC's Taylor Williams has a new single out (his first on Colemine Records) that is pure neo-soul. "Dreaming" is an ultra chilled out soul song that is impossibly smooth. Williams' vocals are the true highlight of the song and are what is going to grab you and pull you in. "Dreaming" doesn't sound like a soul throwback, but it's completely timeless and feels like it could have been made at any time in the past six decades. The song has an almost universal appeal. Fans of any style or time period of soul will love it, but it's also going to crossover for a lot of music fans. You can watch the video for "Dreaming" below. The single is out now on Colemine Records, and can be ordered here . For more on Taylor Williams, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook .

Providence "piano-driven witch pop" artist Olivia Dolphin is back with a brand new single. "Lost" is a heart-wrenching piano ballad heavy on emotion but composed in such a beautiful way that it's still an enjoyable listen. This is a pop song with strong folk elements and an alt-rock edge. The song has such an interesting feel and sound so that it's a pop oriented song that doesn't truly sound like a pop song. Dolphin has captured a completely unique vibe that is all hers while still keeping her sound grounded in the familiar. "Lost" is a song that captivates by just the power of Dolphin's vocals and songwriting talents.  You can listen to "Lost" below. For more on Olivia Dolphin, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Josue Orozco Lately I've been on this weird kick of wanting to listen to laid back but highly dance friendly electronic music, which is kind of a hard thing to look up. Luckily, BBgail has teamed with Weston Smith on "if you let it," which is exactly what I've been desiring. Big Takeover has described it as sounding like "... a Grimes and Kenny G collaboration," and I never knew how great that would sound. It's fun and highly vibey indie dance pop heavy on saxophone and synth, and I've been listening to "if you let it" on a possibly never-ending loop for an amount of time I'm embarrassed by, but this one is just so great. It's a perfect warm up for your weekend, while you're counting down the hours until you can leave. You can watch the video for "if you let it" below. The single is out now on Fort Lowell Records. For more on BBgail, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Erick Molina There are a lot of newfangled shoegaze bands out there, but Glixen have quickly become a favorite of ours. The Phoenix based band leans more into the heavy shoegaze side of things, and their latest single sees them adding even more pop into their sound than ever before. "Medicine Bow" is an intense song with the band's trademark pounding guitars and mesmerizing Aislinn Ritchie's vocals, which have never sounded better. It's the vocals that draw pop comparison's for "Medicine Bow," with warmly chaotic instrumentation spinning around everything. The intensity grows and grows as the song progresses, getting more chaotic and somehow more stunning towards the end. Glixen say of their latest single: “It’s a sense of urgency bound to the quiet yearning for self-comfort.  The song drifts between lucidity and a fever dream, where soft vulnerability meets slow-burning decay. The lead and rhythm guitars melt and unmeld in a hypnotic blur, ...

Photo by Stella Feinstein Boston's Cut the Kids in Half are led by brothers Jack and Charlie Silver. The bad have a new single and video out, "Mountains of Green." This new song is a ramblin' sort of alt-country inspired song that leans heavily into the world of indie rock. It starts off a little twangy, but more on the alt-rock side of things. Jack Silver's vocals have a theatricality that matches its gruffness. The indie rock/noisier side of the song pokes its head out every so often, before it takes over with an epic horn-filled burst towards the end. "Mountains of Green" is a slow build single with a fantastic pay off. Cut the Kids in Half have one of the most unique and interesting sounds in Boston, so we're thrilled to be discovering them, and looking forward to where they go next! Frontman Jack Silver says of the band's latest single: “ ‘Mountains of Green’ is a song about desperation. It’s about this all-consuming desire for fame and fort...

It's just starting to get uncomfortably cold here in New England, so we're already starting to look forward to warm temperatures. Plus, warm temperatures means festival season, and Green River Festival has given us something to look forward to in June! Their 2026 edition will take place June 19-21 at Franklin County Fairgrounds with another fantastic line up. The headliners will get the most attention, with the neotraditional country of Charley Crockett, indie rock veterans Spoon, and experimental rockers Geese. We're thrilled for the undercard of this one, with many favorites playing like The Beths, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Wednesday, Lucius, The War and Treaty, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Folk Bitch Trio, Ratboys, Sunny War, Lily Seabird, and Tre Burt! Plus, there's plenty for us to discover in the next eight months as we get ready for the festival! Three day passes for the 2026 Green River Festival are on sale now. For tickets and more information, check out the ...

The last two weeks because I know I'm not going to get to this. Highlights: Artist : Aesop Rock Album : I Heard It's a Mess There Too Songs of Note : "Crystals and Herbs," "Full House Pinball," "The Cut," "Opossum," "Poly Cotton Blend" Artist : Anna von Hausswolff Album : ICONOCLASTS Songs of Note : "Facing Atlas," "The Iconoclast," "The Whole Woman," "The Mouth," "Stardust," "Struggle with the Beast" Artist : Sorry Album : Cosplay Songs of Note : "Jetplane," "Antelope," "Today Might Be the Hit," "Waxwing," "JIVE" Artist : The Mountain Goats Album : Through this Fire Across from Peter Balkan Songs of Note : "Fishing Boat," "Dawn of Revelation," "Peru," "Armies of the Lord," "Broken to Begin With" Artist : Sabine McCalla Album : Don't Call Me Ba...

Photo by Derrick Alexander Chicago's ira glass have a brand new single out, and it might be one of the most dissonant things we've ever brought you. "that's it/that? that's all you can say?" is an explosion of noise, crashing free jazz, post-hardcore, indie rock, and noise punk into one cacophonous sound. It's all buzzing guitars, hammering drums, and screaming vocals. To say that ira glass isn't going to be for everyone is a massive understatement, but for those of you that will end up loving "that's it/that? that's all you can say?," it will be a complete revelation for you. This is pure musical chaos, and it's absolutely great. You can watch the video for "that's it/that? that's all you can say?" below. joy is no knocking nation is due out November 14 on Fire Talk Records/Angel Tapes, and is available for pre-order here . For more on ira glass, check out the band on Instagram . Upcoming tour dates are below th...

Sometimes it takes a show to realize you missed a great album release. Tuesday, I went to see Living Hour and Paper Lady, and realized both bands recently put out great albums that I completely missed. Plus, I got to discover the brand new band Wedding Gift! Wedding Gift opened the show, and if I heard Paper Lady correctly, it was only their third ever show. The brand new Boston band made their live debut three months ago, and they are showing incredible promise. They have a great sound that is equally as melodic as it is noisy and jarring. They played fuzzed out music with pounding drums, and it kinda sorta was dream pop, but a messier and louder version. Looking forward to hearing what they do next! Living Hour (who we last covered way back in 2018) was up next, all the way from Winnipeg. They released Internal Drone Infinity , an excellent album that we missed back in October. They combine shoegaze with dream pop into a glorious, swirling noise, with tons of lovely crescendos, and k...

Photo by Michael Dubin Matt Pryor may be best known for his work with emo heroes The Get Up Kids, but he has a much wider musical range than that. His latest single with The Salton Sea shows his more alt-rock based side' "Union Transfer" is a huge power ballad of a song, heavy with emotion and an intense musical backdrop. This is the type of song begging to be played live, with a raucous, noisy crescendo. It starts off simply enough, and is right along the lines of what you might expect for a Get Up Kids solo song to sound like. But "Union Transfer" ends up going in such a delightfully unexpected direction that it's cranked up our excitement for the full length album. Matt Pryor says of his latest single: “This is the most vulnerable song I’ve ever written. It marks the place and date of where I hit rock bottom." You can listen to "Union Transfer" below. The Salton Sea is due out November 14 on Nightshoes Syndicate/Big Scary Monsters, and is a...