Bad Larrys - "Skating Upstream"

Last summer, I discovered Massachusetts' own Bad Larrys, and wrote about their (at the time) most recent single "Fantasy." Fifteen days later they announced they were breaking up. Turns out they had one more song for us all, and just released it last week. "Skating Upstream" might be one of the greatest final songs of all time. It has the absolute perfect combination of indie rock noise, power pop hooks, and phenomenal harmonies that you don't normally get in the world of indie rock. The music is driving, with fuzzy guitars and a bouncy bass line, but those vocal harmonies are just maddeningly perfect. If you're just discovering Bad Larrys, you're both welcome and I'm sorry. It's gonna hurt discovering a band this fantastic just too late.

You can listen to "Skating Upstream" below. For more on Bad Larrys, check them out on Bandcamp and Instagram.

Bad Larrys - "Fantasy"

Photo by Jenna Pinch

The latest single from Bad Larrys is exactly what we need from them. "Fantasy" is a kick ass indie rock song with swirling and crunchy guitars and amazing vocal harmonies that we haven't heard in the genre since that dog. It's a song that sounds both huge and little musically, with a level of vocals usually heard only in much more mainstream genres. It's a fun song that I'm nearly certain masks a much darker subject, which is what some of my favorite all time songs do. Plus, as great as the song is for the first four minutes, Bad Larrys just go all out for the ending making it an absolute epic. This is yet another local Boston area band that should break out at any moment.

You can listen to "Fantasy" below. For more on Bad Larrys, check out the band's Facebook and Bandcamp.

Bad Larrys - "Ugly and Proud"

You know those bands that you know the name of but you've never actually heard? Bad Larrys have been one of those for me for a while now. The Danvers, MA based trio just released a new single, and now I'm kicking myself for not checking them out before. "Ugly and Proud" is a fuzzed out indie rock song with plenty of crunch and edge to the guitars, and one of those slightly off guitar solos that is just perfect. And towards the end it unravels into a faster, slightly out of control break down. But, what sets Bad Larrys apart from other indie rockers are the amazing three part harmonies. All three members of Bad Larrys have voices far superior to your average indie singers, and they expertly meld them together throughout the song. It's this mixture of the abrasiveness of the music and the beauty of their vocals that make "Ugly and Proud" truly special.

You can listen to "Ugly and Proud" below. The song is currently available on Bandcamp. For more on Bad Larrys, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.