If It's Too Loud...

Tysk Tysk Task Photo by Ken Sears Friday and Saturday night were one thing, but Sunday was an entirely different animal. The trains heading into Harvard Square were completely packed, and the areas in front of the Red and Green stages were full before a single note was played. The quadruple threat of The Killers, Hozier, Meghan Thee Stallion, and Chappell Roan were the reason. I'm typically great at weaseling my way through crowds without being too obnoxious about it. Friday night I was able to get relatively close to Leon Bridges halfway through his set, and Saturday I ended up about five people back for Frank Turner about twenty minutes before he went on. However, Sunday it was nearly impossible to get near either of the main stages unless you got there hours early. There was still a lot to see and enjoy, and here are my highlights of the day! Tysk Tysk Task I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I loved Tysk Tysk Task's set opening up the Orange stage for the day. The Low...

Artist : Alvvays Album : Blue Rev Quick Thoughts : Alvvays burst on the scene in 2014 and blew up with "Marry Me Archie," and haven't taken their foot off the gas since. This is easily the best listen of the week: song after song after song that is a winner. If you like the fuzzy indie stuff, make it a point to add this to your rotation. Songs of Note : "Pharmacist," "After the Earthquake," "Many Mirrors," "Very Online Guy," "Belinda Says" Artist : Johanna Warren Album : Lessons for Mutants Quick Thoughts : An impressive, somewhat stark affair recorded live to tape that provides a somewhat distant feel. The album is hauntingly wonderful and deserves a listen, but what's great is how this sticks with you over its runtime and beyond. In a busy week, it stands out in ways I didn't expect from someone's sixth album. Songs of Note : "Piscean Lover," "County Fair" Artist : ctrl + me Al...

Artist : Ted Leo Album : The Hanged Man Quick Description : Latest from the indie punk. Why You Should Listen : At his worst, he's still worth a shot. Overall Thoughts : I don’t have a ton to say about Ted Leo, who is definitely in the “old punk” stage of his career, and this record feels more like a concept record that dabbles in prog than what launched him into the indie stratosphere however many years ago. As someone who is a marginal fan of his on a whole, this didn’t do much for me, but your mileage may vary. Personally, I can’t recommend in a week as busy as this one. Recommendation : Skip this one. Artist : Deerhoof Album : Mountain Moves Quick Description : New album from the artsy indie rockers. Why You Should Listen : You're up for a challenge. Overall Thoughts : Deerhoof is not Deer Tick. This is what I realized about 1 minute into this album, which is a complex and (mostly) difficult record that defies expectations on every turn and is among the weir...

A pretty stacked week this week for releases. Got a Girl - I Love You But I Must Drive Off of This Cliff Now : Got a Girl, the Dan the Automator/Mary Elizabeth Winstead project has been highlighted here at the blog before , and now that we have a full-length album, we can hear how well the initial song release matches the album. Overall, Ken is right that it feels a lot like the Lovage project, and while it may be a tad too long for my ears, there is more than enough here to really enjoy as a lounge-style electronic piece, and Winstead more than holds her own as a singer (which can be dicey for actors and actresses who try to cross over). Definitely worth putting in your rotation. Alvvays - Alvvays : I hate their name, and there's not exactly new ground forged in the debut album from Alvvays, but there's something very pleasant and reliable here that I appreciate. Polyvinyl specializes in this sort of indie pop, and Alvvays, even with the amount of hype and buzz they...