Bangwell Putt - "Are You Mad at Me?"

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Photo by Tyler Crump

Boston grungepunks Bangwell Putt have a new single out today, and it's a good one. "Are You Mad at Me?" is self-described as "... if X-Ray Spex had anxiety." It clocks in at under two minutes of highly fuzzy guitar and DIY vibes. Despite how gruff the song is throughout, it's also oddly melodic and highly fun. This is simple, noisy punk from a band that includes members of Double Star and Skaleton Crew (and isn't even remotely ska). It could be great for pogoing or starting a pit, but Bangwell Putt's latest could be used just to start straight up dancing. This is a great one, and a perfect way to get your weekend started.

Lyricist/lead vocalist Rachel Hock says of the band's latest single:

“‘Are You Mad at Me?’ comes from my personal experience with anxiety. It’s about the uncertain feeling I get that maybe I’ve done something wrong, and it’s usually completely baseless! I think it’s a familiar feeling for a lot of people, especially people-pleasers like me.”

You can listen to "Are You Mad at Me?" below. For more on Bangwell Putt, check out the band on Instagram. They'll be playing tomorrow (July 18) at The Jungle in Somerville with Double Star, Thrust Club, and T0SKA.

On Repeat...

Glixen - "all tied up"

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Photo by Jocelyn Pacheco Phoenix's Glixen have quickly become our favorite heavy shoegaze band, and songs like "all tied up" will show you exactly why. This new single might be the most classically shoegaze song they've released to date. It sounds like it could be a lost song from the Loveless sessions. It's filled with a heavy wall of fuzz and lumbers along at a midtempo pace. As always, Aislinn Ritchie's vocals have a slight pop sheen to them, even if they tend to take a backseat to the music surrounding her. This mixed with the absolutely punishing drums throughout "all tied up" make it a heavy shoegaze instant masterpiece. Aislinn Ritchie says of her band's latest single: “‘all tied up’ is about feeling completely consumed by someone.  We definitely wanted the song to feel enveloping. There’s a subtle tension that builds throughout with a push and pull between the guitars and vocals. The song hits hard with its emotional depth, yet breathes w...
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The Boy Detective - "I Renounce Verdukianism!"

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Maybe because it's because I went to a bunch of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' Hometown Throwdowns, but I oddly associate ska-punk with Christmas and New Year's Eve. The Boy Detective are here to help me out with their latest holiday single, "I Renounce Verdukianism!" The song gets it's title from a made up religion from 30 Rock , and it's a fast and funny track about the chaos that comes with the holidays. It's definitely leaning into the punk side of ska-punk, and is just a fun song about Christmas. If you grew up in the midst of third wave ska, "I Renounce Verdukianism!" is going to resonate with you. Lead vocalist Benny Capaul says that his band's new song is "...  our nod to the holidays gone wrong, packed with all the regrets and frosty mishaps one could hope for.” You can watch the lyric video for "I Renounce Verdukianism!" below. The single is out now on Punkerton Records. For more on The Boy Detective, check out the ...
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TORRES - "I got the fear"

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Photo by Ebru Yildiz Somehow TORRES keeps surprising us with her music. The musical project of Mackenzie Scott has released a new single that features her vocals and acoustic guitar that would feel at home in a neo-folk song over a pre-programmed drum beat with sounds that at times are either a light squall of guitar feedback and electronic noises. The song has this haunting and unsettling feeling to it, despite sounding like it's trying to be upbeat. I'd say art doesn't always have to be a pleasant experience, but "I got the fear" can be a pleasant listening experience, except for the times it's not. Mackenzie Scott says of her latest single: “A collective dread has been mounting. Everyone I know is having a brawl with the universe, with themselves…wars, climate catastrophe, a pandemic, the worldwide regression on human rights, the political hellscape — it affects everybody, and I know we’re all feeling it in waves of varying degree all the time. I think it’s...
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