If It's Too Loud...

Boston's Honey Cassette just released their debut single, and it's perfect for those of us that love 90's alt-rock. "Piece of Mind" is a track that's just as fuzzy as it is poppy. It has guitar licks that reach for the stars while still staying grounded in dissonance. They get compared to Guided By Voices and Built to Spill quite a bit, and you'll definitely see why with this song. It has that punchy and poppy quality of Guided By Voices along with the almost there guitar heroics of early Built to Spill. "Piece of Mind" is an intriguing song that's going to make you want to hear more from Honey Cassette. Luckily, they have an EP coming out next month so we won't have to wait long. You can listen to "Piece of Mind" below. Intermittent Bursts of Light is due out August 11, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Honey Cassette, check out the band on Instagram . They'll be playing as part of Nice, a fest th...

Photo courtesy Yep Roc Records It's hard to believe that Eli Paperboy Reed has been consistently making great music for over twenty years now. His music keeps sounding fresh, and he's become a veteran of the neo-soul movement. His latest single, "Love You More," is a duet with up-and-coming artist Zaniah. It has a little bit more of an R&B sound than his typical release, but it's still a killer soul song. It's a positive song that helps remind you why you love music so much. It's a bit of a cheesy love song, but when one is done as well as "Love You More," that's not necessarily a bad thing. We can pretty much guarantee we'll cover anything Reed puts out, and when it's this good, it's a pure pleasure. Eli Paperboy Reed says of his latest single: "When I was 21 and still living in Boston I sang with a gospel group, The Silver Leaf Gospel singers. The group had been founded in 1945 and all of the members were at least 50 ye...

Photo by Lucy Marriot Sheffield dark folk artist R Loomes (member of Sister Wives) has a new single out that is as beautiful as it is dark. "Passerine" can almost lull the listener into a sense of calm without them realizing just how dark the song is. It's undeniably haunting, but not in a negative way. It's the perfect single for those of us that find joy and beauty in darkness, without being too dark for the average music fan. R Loomes gets compared to artists like Jeff Buckley and Emma Ruth Rundle, and after hearing "Passerine," you won't be able to disagree.  R Loomes says of her latest single: "This song came about after spending a full day at the studio. It fell out in the last 10 minutes of the day and I wrote the lyrics on my phone on the way home as it was so stuck in my head. Its about the passing of time and the things we collect as a reminder of its ephemerality.. It's a split dialogue to myself, to love and the collective whole....

Photo by Liz Walshak Darling Effigy is a Boston based bubblegrunge band. Their new single, "Hysterical," has a lot more venom than you typically get with the genre, enough that I'd personally say it edges into punk territory. It's a mocking track about how doctors tend to ignore women's medical complaints. The song starts off bubbly enough, but quickly evolves into an epic while still being bubblegrunge. There's a lot going on in "Hysterical," to the point that it feels bigger than a song that clocks in at under four minutes. One of my favorites is the menacing guitar that pops in and out throughout the song. This is a wildly promising debut single for Darling Effigy, and we can't wait to hear what they do next. You can listen to "Hysterical" below. For more on Darling Effigy, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . They'll be playing at The Square Root in Roslindale on July 23 with Hambone Skinny, Torch Red, and Double Star...

Photo by Adam Alonzo Hannah Cole started out in Covington, LA and is now based in Nashville. Her latest single, "MMA," is a monster of an introduction. It's a huge alt-rock track, layered in 90's style low-end feedback. As noisy as the songs starts out, it slowly evolves and adds in more melody. At times the feedback fades out and is replaced by a more modern, alt-pop sound, but it always comes back with a vengeance. At times "MMA" sounds like a lost track from the 90's, and at others like a completely modern semi-pop hit. It's great all the way through, and has us thrilled to hear more from Cole. You can watch the video for "MMA" below. Switchbacks is out September 4 on TightKnit, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Hannah Cole, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include September 29 at Warehouse XI in Somerville, MA. Fri. Aug. 21 - Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room * Thu...

Wisconsin's Heather and the Jerk (aka Heather Sawyer) is going to remind a lot of our readers of The Ex-Bats. Her latest single, "Write a Letter," is a short and sweet garage rock song with a ton of 1960's melodies. It's filled with fuzzy guitars and a killer DIY feel. It's impossible to sit still while listening to this one, and it's just a fun rock and roll song. It's pure garage rock meets doo wop, but with a modern indie rock sensibility. Of course, if you grew up on oldies from the 60's, you're going to be predisposed to loving "Write a Letter," but it's certainly not a requirement. You can watch the video for "Write a Letter" below. Scroll if You Love Devil is due out August 27 on Mpls Ltd Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Heather and the Jerk, check out the artist on Bandcamp .

Photo by Miles Kalchik The latest single from Savanna Ruth is going to give you some serious 90's flashbacks, and not just because it was produced by Scott Lucas (Local H) and Blake Smith. "Bad Thoughts" has this perfect 90's alt-rock singer-songwriter thing. It's a mixture of melodic and noisy, with just the slightest hints of twang. To me, this feels and sounds like the mid-90's artists like Liz Phair and The Lemonheads. Plus, Ruth has the 90's slacker vocals down perfectly. The guitars have the perfect level of fuzz, and it's a level of poppy that we never would have admitted back in 1995. "Bad Thoughts" has the kind of catchy chorus that you'll be singing by the second time it comes around. And I get more obsessed with the song with every listen. Savanna Ruth says of her latest single: "This was written during one of the most confusing and emotionally complicated periods of my life.  At the time, I was in the midst of a long-term...

Photo by Gianni Segarra Chicago's Cel Ray have one of the most unique takes on punk, and we can't get enough of it. Their latest single, "Teen (Cult) Song," has all of the attitude of punk, but in a weird mixture that is both melodic and discordant. The song charges straight for you for two and a half minutes, and you won't be able to decide if you want to dance, pogo, or mosh. (All are correct.) It's fun, and has an interesting pop punk goes noise/art punk quality to it. "Teen (Cult) Song" reminds me of The Gits meet Bikini Kill, but in a way that is both more pop and noisier. Cel Ray are a band that should be huge by this time next year if the two singles we've heard from them so far are any indication. Vocalist Maddie Daviss says of the band's latest single: "When I first heard this song the boys had written I thought it was something they would play at the Bait Shop, the fictional pier-side rock club frequented by the teens on The OC...

We've come to love the garage/psych/grunge sounds of Boston's The Endorphins over the past few years, and their latest single adds a new sound to their repertoire: power pop. "MELANCHOLY MEMORIES" keeps all of the fuzz drenching everything that has become The Endorphins' signature sound, but with a ton of harmonies and pop hooks. I'm not sure if the song is quite dance-friendly, but it's not not dance-friendly. There's an odd hypnotic effect to the track, which only helps burrow the song deeper into your psyche. "MELANCHOLY MEMORIES" is a great single from one of our local favorites. You can listen to "MELANCHOLY MEMORIES" below. The Ephemeral Mind is due out September 25, and is available for pre-order here . For more on The Endorphins, check out the band's website .

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, es...

Photo courtesy John Falls While "I Know Exactly What You Mean" may not be new Velocity Girl, it's new to us Velocity Girl, and that's pretty great. Taken from the upcoming 1989-1992  compilation of the Washington D.C. band's pre-Sub Pop music, this track shows that Velocity Girl had a solidified sound even back then. It's perfect early 90's janglepop, and if you've been a decades long fan, you're goint to be thrilled to hear this track. I've long felt that Velocity Girl have been one of the most underrated bands of the 90's, and you'll see why once you hear "I Know Exactly What You Mean." It's from the band's first session with singer Sarah Shannon. This is a great song, and I'm shocked it took thirty plus years for it to be made public. You can listen to "I Know Exactly What You Mean" below. 1989-1992 is due out August 28 on Slumberland Records, and is available to pre-order here . For more on Velocity G...

Photo by Carol Fonde I'm not usually one for empowering songs, but these days I'll take any positivity I can get, especially when it comes in a song this great. Today sees the release of "Tell Your Friends" from Boston's Emily Grogan. The track is an epic pop rock track that gets more inventive than the genre typically gets. It has enough tempo and stylistic changes, and cycles through these throughout the song. The song ends up being a wildly powerful track that will give even the post pessimistic of us (i.e.: me) some hope for the future. "Tell Your Friends" starts off good, and only gets better and better as it becomes one of the best songs of the year. Emily Grogan says of her latest single: “‘Tell Your Friends’ came from feeling overwhelmed by the amount of chaos, division, and fear happening around us. I found myself pulling more inward this year, and in those moments when I step back into the world, I see the external chaos from a different perspe...

Willi Carlisle is one of our favorite Americana artists out there today. He's always seemed to be deserving of much more attention than he gets, and his upcoming Tyler Childers produced album might be what gets him there. His latest single, "The Mason Jar at the Center of the World," is everything we love from Carlisle. It's a traditional folk/country song with modern sensibilities. It feels like a troubadour song, and it's easy to picture Carlisle busking while playing this song. As traditional roots as it is, it doesn't sound old fashioned at all. "The Mason Jar at the Center of the World" is the rare song that should sound old timey but sounds completely modern without being progressive. But that's why Willi Carlisle is such a unique and special artist. Willi Carlisle says of his upcoming album: “I think this one goes to outer space. This is the widest range of influences that I’ve ever had. It touches on funk, it touches on Americana, Cajun, ...

Photo by Silken Weinberg The latest solo single from Nina Winder-Lind (The New Eves) diverges from her previous two singles. While "This is Our Life" and "Girls" were singer-songwriter/alt-folk masterpieces, "Headfirst" is more of a straightforward rocker. The song has a killer groove and lets Winder-Lind show off the more gruff aspect of her vocals. There are still traces of alt-folk and a little modern pop, but "Headfirst" is more along the lines of a modern Patti Smith. Winder-Lind is getting to show off her punk-ish side, along with some killer jangly guitar. Just when we started to think we knew what to expect from her upcoming solo album, Nina Winder-Lind throws us off with "Headfirst." Nina Winder-Lind says of her latest single: “‘Headfirst’ is the amalgamation of two elements; a spoken poem that I made whilst out on a walk in my neighbourhood, and an odd two harmony guitar riff that I recorded on GarageBand and labeled ‘televisi...