Save Ferris - "Get Dancing"

Photo by Fabien Castro

My current love of Save Ferris makes me furious at my 90's self for being too snobby to truly enjoy them back then. Last summer I went to see the third wave ska legends as a casual fan on a whim, and was completely blown away by their live show. This year they're back with a new single, "Get Dancing." This is a laid back ska song with Save Ferris' trademark pop hooks, and it's quite literally the perfect song for summer. It's upbeat, but in a chill way. We're just finally getting some warmth here in New England, and "Get Dancing" could very easily become my personal soundtrack to the start of New England summer. It feels more like a modernized version of classic ska than a third wave track. Maybe it's because I went to every Warped Tour from 1996-2002, but this is exactly what summer sounds like to me.

You can watch the video for "Get Dancing" below. For more on Save Ferris, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include a June 7 show at Taffeta Music Hall in Lowell, MA.

May 1, 2025, St Paul, MN, Turf Club

May 2, 2025, Omaha, NE, Waiting Room Lounge

May 3, 2025, Lawrence, KS, Bottleneck

May 4, 2025, Wichita, KS, WAVE

May 5, 2025, Tulsa, OK, Vanguard

May 7, 2025, Nashville, TN, The Basement East

May 8, 2025, Greenville, SC, Radio Room

May 9, 2025, Raleigh, NC, Kings

May 10, 2025, Atlanta, GA, The Masquerade

May 11, 2025, Lake Buena Vista, FL, House of Blues Orlando

May 15, 2025, New Orleans, LA, No Dice

May 16, 2025, Houston, TX, Last Concert Cafe

May 17, 2025, Dallas, TX, Ferris Wheelers Backyard and BBQ

May 20, 2025, St Louis, MO, THE OLD ROCK HOUSE

May 24, 2025, Hatfield, United Kingdom, Slam Dunk Festival – South 2025

May 25, 2025, Leeds, United Kingdom, Slam Dunk Festival – North 2025

Jun. 7, 2025, Lowell, MA, Taffeta Music Hall

Jun. 8, 2025, Ardmore, PA, Ardmore Music Hall

Jun. 11, 2025, Hamden, CT, Space Ballroom

Jun. 20, 2025, Victoria, BC, Victoria Curling Club

Jun. 21, 2025, Seattle, WA, Nectar Lounge

Aug. 3, 2025, London, United Kingdom, O2 Academy Islington

Aug. 6, 2025, Southampton, United Kingdom, The 1865

Aug. 7, 2025, Huddersfield, United Kingdom, Parish

Sep. 13, 2025, Bethlehem, PA

Ali McGuirk - "Where Does All the $ Come From"

The latest from Ali McGuirk doesn't exactly sound like a protest song, but it would be considered political by many listeners. "Where Does All the $ Come From" is a laid back neo-soul song with an intense message. Unlike much of the soul music we cover, McGuirk's isn't a throwback track. It sounds like a modern version of soul, filtering both vintage 60's soul and 90's R&B into a sound that's fully 2025. It's the type of song that will be easy to get caught up in the sound and feel of it without paying attention to the lyrics, but McGuirk has written a great song that should inspire you to think. It's also a killer soul track, so you'll be able to fully enjoy at it multiple levels.

Ali McGuirk says of her latest single:

"No matter where we stand on the political spectrum, we are all complicit in systems that exploit. The bottom line question I want you to ask yourself today is: Where has all the money come from that has built your life?"

You can listen to "Where Does the $ Come From" below. The single is out now on Signature Sounds. For more on Ali McGuirk, check out the artist's website.

Live Shows: The Town and The City Festival Night 3, Lowell, MA 4/26/25

Coming back to downtown Lowell for the evening portion of The Town and The City Festival, I knew I had to move between The Old Court and Thirst First. I started out at The Old Court just before Escape Durgin took the stage. The Old Court was a showcase for Lowell artists Saturday night, and Escape Durgin started it off with an eclectic set that spanned multiple genres, usually within the same song. The first song started off as more of a 90's second wave grunge power ballad in the vein of Candlebox, and quickly veered off into 70's psychedelia territory. They reminded me of a modern take on the college bands that dominated central Massachusetts in the 90's, and I don't mean that as a bad thing.

Gross Girls were up next, and they may end up being my favorite musical discovery of 2025. You know how most music is either happy, angry, or sad? Gross Girls' songs seem more annoyed than anything else. It's like they took the overall vibe of the 90's and recreated it into a modern indie rock form. Songs like "Punk Rocker" and "Dumb Tattoo" instantly won me over with this blend of noisy indie rock and almost a country/folk sound. When I sent their album Super Punk Rock Yeah Yeah over to Jeff, he commented that they sounded like "Pavement was fronted by Daria," and I certainly can't argue that. Be prepared for this to basically become a Gross Girls fanblog over the next year.

The Ghouls came next, and they're one of the most solid live bands in the Boston scene today. They have this perfect mix of playing loosely in that 90's cool way while also being an incredibly tight band. The two previous times I've seen them play have blown me away, and even though I knew what to expect for this third time, I was still pleasantly surprised by how great they are live. They play a great mix of punk meets alt-rock that is just mainstream enough to win over the normies but just unique enough to keep the music snobs happy.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay for all of The Ghouls since I wanted to make my way over to Thirsty First to catch the end of Winkler's set. After discovering them last month playing with Archer Oh, I knew they were a fun live band. Saturday night, something clicked a little more with them. It could have simply been that we all need some positivity these days, but there's something about their updated version of Jonathan Richman that worked particularly well for me this past weekend. The only negative thing about festivals like this is having to miss some sets you wish you could have caught.

Closing out this year's The Town and The City Festival for me was Senseless Optimism. As much as I enjoyed her set at last year's Boston Calling, Saturday night was an absolute revelation and near religious experience. Her set started off slowly and built as the night went on. Some performers just have a certain star quality, and Brittany Tsewole possesses more than enough. The small group of audience members dancing seemed to be having the time of their lives, and I only wish I was far less uptight and could have joined them. Senseless Optimism's music ranges through virtually all genres, from folk to hard rock to soul to indie rock and countless others. Plus, the set ended in one of the handful of true encores I've ever seen. As they ended their set, the sound guy ran up to the stage to tell them to play another, and they ended with a life altering version of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."