Good Teal - "Excusing the Hurt"

By -

Photo by Jordan Mikhail

You know that if we're bringing you hardcore then it's gotta be something unique. That's the case with Good Teal. The New Jersey hardcore band just do the genre differently. Their latest single, "Excusing the Hurt," is as fast and heavy as hardcore can be, but they seem to add a little extra venom to their sound. Plus, it's noisier and more discordant than most, and even includes one of the shortest shredded guitar solos around. As with my personal favorite songs in the genre, "Excusing the Hurt" changes up multiple times despite its two minute length. Good Teal are as intense as they are creative, and this one will blow you away in both volume and innovation.

Reg Mason (vocals and bass) says of the band's latest single:

“Hardest song for me to write, lyrically. I’ve rewritten this one maybe 3 times, I want to say. I never felt that I had a proper place to talk about being a victim of abuse growing up. I trained myself to be quiet, as it was easier than risking being vulnerable. Then I found the words to say.

"I wanted to write about the day-to-day of having that hurt stewing in you and consciously rejecting it with intention. To not have that be an excuse to not contribute something good in society. The first verse follows me accepting the way that abuse has shaped me in my overall mistrust of people. Recognizing that living with that hurt will ultimately do no good and making the self-call to not be a product of the cliched  'hurt people hurt people.' The second verse (featuring my longtime friend and collaborator GINI’) is from the perspective of someone who is still in that headspace to spread as much hurt as possible, in search of empathy. By the end of both verses, both perspectives land on the same word 'excuse.' They don’t think exactly the same but recognize that they are on that same spectrum - The Hurt. That pain that dulls and turns into teal if left unchecked.”

You can watch the video for "Excusing the Hurt" below. Good Teal's self-titled EP is due out August 15. For more on Good Teal, check out the artist on Instagram. Upcoming live dates are below the video.


August 15th - Montclair, NJ @ Meat Locker w/ Memorial Field

August 16th - Baltimore, MD @ Holy Frijoles w/ Jrdn and The Switchblades & Noir Benny

August 24th - Rutherford, NJ @ Williams Center w/ Post No Bills, Sewn Away, and Depressionista

On Repeat...

Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

By -
Image
Photo by Alexa Viscius This may be Liam Kazar's debut single, but the Chicago based musician already has an impressive resume, having worked with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, and others. "Shoes Too Tight" features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy on drums, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Ohmme on vocals. It's an absurdly fun and groovy little song that is a party waiting to happen. What he gives us here is a timeless song that could truly have been released any time since the 1960's (ok... maybe not the 80's...) There are elements of classic rock, 60's crooners and R&B, indie rock, modern Americana... it's really just packed with everything in a cohesive song that maintains the vibe the entire way through. You can watch the video for "Shoes Too Tight" below. For more on Liam Kazar, check him out on Instagram and Twitter . He's also raising money on his Bandcamp for Constellation and The Hungry Brain. ...
Read more

The Freqs - "Witch"

By -
Image
Photo via Facebook When you're a rock band from Salem, MA, you have to have at least one song about witchcraft. The Freqs have fulfilled their obligation with a banger of a song. "Witch" is this giant monster of a song, filled with fuzz and strained, screaming vocals. This is the type of song that doesn't usually exist in this century. It's giving me some serious 90's flashbacks, like if Hum got aggressive or Alice in Chains decided to do some damage on the college charts. As great as the vocals are in "Witch," what's really drawing me in is the instrumental break down that takes over about halfway through. This is the kind of song to make the hipsters and the headbangers equally excited. You can listen to "Witch" below. For more on The Freqs, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . The Freqs · Witch
Read more

Live Shows: Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, Eight Foot Manchild, and Lovina Falls, The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA 7/12/25

By -
Image
One of my favorite things is going to see a diverse live bill. Anyone can put together a show with three pop punk bands on it, but it's a challenge (and far more interesting) to put three unique bands on the same show and have it work out perfectly. Saturday night at The Sinclair saw the steamcrunk of Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, doombrass heroes Eight Foot Manchild, and the baroque pop of Lovina Falls, and it was perfect. Opening the show was Lovina Falls, the current musical project of Valerie Forgione of Mistle Thrush. This was my third or fourth time seeing them in just a few months, and I'm still entertained every time. It's been interesting to watch Lovina Falls adjust and discover their sound over the past two or so years, and I think they've nailed their current sound down. It's an engaging blend of the baroque pop they started out with mixed with a more rock based sound. Songs like "Ellery Way" and "Vaulted" continue to ...
Read more