If It's Too Loud...

A strange thing happened while listening to Sam Mulligan's new album Pizza Forever. I expected a pizza themed chiptune/VGM/nerdcore album to be fun, and this album certainly is. It's a genuinely funny release, with songs about ordering so much pizza that you lose all your money ("Broke"), and another about getting a pizza and not being able to recognize the toppings ("Weird Pizza"). Pizza Forever should be a novelty release that you listen to once, chuckle, and then move on. But the songs on Pizza Forever are great. Turns out they are ridiculously catchy and well put together. You'll put this on once out of curiosity, but you'll end up going back to the album repeatedly because it turns out to be great. You can listen to Pizza Forever below. The album can be purchased via Bandcamp . For more on Sam Mulligan, check out the artist's website . Pizza Forever by Sam Mulligan

Photo by Reese Layton Blondshell, aka the musical project of Sabrina Teitelbaum, has a brand new single out, and it might be her best yet. "Heart Has to Work So Hard" continues Blondshell's mixture of pop and indie rock, with this one leaning deeper into indie rock territory. This new song is intense, and it's just as melodic as it is noisy. It feels like a mixture of PJ Harvey and Boygenius, and it's deserving of that level of praise. Teitelbaum has always let all of her emotions out in her music, but not on the level that she does on "Heart Has to Work So Hard." It feels urgent, like she needed to get this song out of her soul.  Sabrina Teitelbaum says of her latest single: “This song is really about friendship and betrayal, getting stuck in a dynamic and letting things fester. It’s about pain and confusion — no one trains you for the ups and downs of a friendship between two women — but it’s also about a love so enduring that you find compassion no ma...

Artist : Social Distortion Album : Born to Kill Quick Thoughts : Often, when an old or longtime wrestler comes out and does well, the crowd starts a "you still got it!" chant. While I don't know if that implies Social Distortion ever lost it, never mind needing to qualify "it" with "still," the reality is that Born to Kill is exactly what I wanted from a Social Distortion album in 2026. We're coming up on 50 years of Social Distortion and they're still consistent and interesting, and still unafraid to drop an unexpected cover song. Sure, it took 15 years to get here, but Born to Kill was ultimately worth the wait for me. Songs of Note : "No Way Out," "Tonight," "Wicked Game," "Never Goin' Back Again" Artist : India Ramey Album : Villain Era Quick Thoughts : There are plenty of women doing the classic country thing, and some are more successful than others. I place India Ramey fully...

We haven't heard from Boston's Good June since their collaboration with Cape Crush last January. Now the alt-rock/emo band are back with a new single and an expanded sound. "Something Beautiful" is still an alt-rock/emo song, but it's somehow even more melodic and lovely than you'd expect from that genre. Despite it's three and a half minute length, the song is an absolute epic. It changes tempo and styles repeatedly throughout, and is overflowing with vocal melodies. There are still screamy parts, but "Something Beautiful" is... well... beautiful. You don't typically get a song this fast paced while being this lovely, but that's the magic of Good June.  You can listen to "Something Beautiful" below. Afterimage is due out June 5. For more on Good June, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . Something Beautiful by Good June

Voice actress/singer-songwriter/comedian Grey Delisle and soul singer Les Greene have a collaborative album coming out next month (titled Grey & Greene , naturally), and the duo just released a single from that album. "I'm Gonna Let You Call Me Baby" was written by Delisle and sung by Greene, and it's a masterclass in soul. Greene is the greatest soul singer that isn't a household name, and I say that after only hearing "I'm Gonna Let You Call Me Baby." As with many of our neo-soul favorites, it's rooted in classic soul but still sounds modern. This is simply a great song, sung by an absolute powerhouse. Grey Delisle says of her new single with Les Greene: “I had just hosted the Ameripolitan Awards where I saw Les perform for the very first time. I couldn’t get his voice out of my head. I wanted to write the perfect song for him. He’s the kind of performer that really inspires a songwriter. It really pushes the boundaries of my mind when I’m ...

Prisoner are a French garage psych band with a brand new single out. "La femme qui s'était toute seule" is perfect if you have a fondness for early garage rock. As vintage as the song is, it's not a complete 1960's throwback. Prisoner inject a ton of early punk and New Wave into the song, making it a mixture of ? and the Mysterians, X-Ray Specs, and The B-52's. The keyboards in the song somehow capture both garage rock and New Wave, and they also have a killer trombone and guitars that live between surf rock and spy theme songs. This might be the most fun party ready rock song we've brought you all year. You can watch the video for "La femme qui s' é tait toute seule" below. Prisoner's self-titled album is due out August 7 on Wicked Cool Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Prisoner, check out the band's website .

Ever since I stumbled on the music of Little Hag back in 2020 or so, I've made it my mission to see the Jersey Shore band any time they roll through New England. Friday night they swung through The Lilypad in Cambridge, which let me see them for the third time, and let me discover two new favorites: Blvck Hippie and Grocer! Little Hag took the stage a little before the listed 8:00 start time, and started just as I walked in the door. They played a fun and energetic set focusing on their newer music (and leaving off 2020's "Tetris!"), but luckily they keep releasing killer songs. Their sound is a pop-ish blend of indie rock, and they shone with favorites like "Blood" and "The Machine." Avery Mandeville is the perfect frontperson for this style of music, and has an awkward charm that is irresistible and just adds to the fun of their live show. They included the just released this week "Watchlist Rock," which is a companion piece to last yea...

When I first saw that Los Angeles' Savvy Haze were a hip hop/grunge band, I was shocked that I hadn't heard that sound before. Then I remembered that the Judgment Night soundtrack included collaborations between Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul, Cypress Hill and Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr and Del the Funky Homosapien. Savvy Haze's new-ish single, "Hip Thrust," reminds me more of the pairing of Mudhoney and Sir Mix-A-Lot in that it sounds like a party has just broken out. It's a funky and rocking song that combines hip hop and grunge into a style that sounds like they've always belonged together. This is a truly fun song, and a great way to set the mood for your weekend.  You can listen to "Hip Thrust" below. The song is available via Bandcamp . For more on Savvy Haze, check out the band on Instagram . Hip Thrust by Savvy Haze

Next week sees the release of a new album from Boston's The Sheila Divine, but this week the band lets us hear another single from that album. "Life is Fragile" is exactly what we want from these guys in 2026. It has all of the alt-rock punch of classic Sheila Divine, but with a darker sensibility. Also, with all of Aaron Perrino's musical projects now under the same band name, that allows for more of an almost dance feel with this one. There might not be the same screaming vocals as 1999's New Parade , but "Life is Fragile" is just as much of an anthem as anything of that album. The Sheila Divine have long been one of Boston's finest and most underrated, and we can't wait for The Middle Ages next week. You can listen to "Life is Fragile" below. The Middle Ages is due out May 22, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The Sheila Divine, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . They'll be playing Brighto...

Photo by Audrey Hertel Criteria, the new project from Stephen Pedersen (formerly of Cursive), have a new single out before their debut album is released next week. "I am the End" is an energetic if mid-tempo indie rock track with the type of guitar solos usually reserved for metal or prog rock, but certainly not indie. It's an anthem practically begging to be yelled out at a live show, even if the track is about ending something. "I am the End" is an undeniably catchy song bordering on emo or pop punk. Put on your pogoing shoes and crank this one up. Jeff Pedersen says of his band's upcoming album: "These songs feel like alchemy under pressure — love as the undertow, empathy as survival, and seizing the moment as it seizes you.” You can watch the video for "I am the End" below. SEIZE! is due out May 22 on Spartan Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Criteria, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .

Photo by Danielle Head It used to be easy to describe new music from Pokey LaFarge. He always had a vintage folk/Americana style, and while that's true of his latest single, it's hard to put "Rent Money" in a tidy little box. The song still has a great vintage folk/Americana style, but it branches out into so many styles within that umbrella. LaFarge is including some early rock and roll, some funk, some soul, and maybe even a little ska into "Rent Money." He's always included plenty of groove in all of his music, but this might have his strongest groove to date. LaFarge went from being a pure folk revivalist, and has now modified that into a sound that's all his own. Pokey LaFarge says of his latest single: “‘Rent Money’ is a little bit more of a tougher tune, but it’s not going to totally bum you out. It’s just a classic country blues song. The good lord giveth and Uncle Sam taketh away.” You can watch the video for "Rent Money" below. Th...