If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Cat Meade When a press release compares a band to The Lemonheads, Superchunk, and Husker Du, I'm guaranteed to listen. And probably guaranteed to like the song. That's certainly the case with "Hey Dude," the latest single from Hedge. Plus, the Worcester, MA band has said that the song is an ode to Dinosaur Jr. If you love 90's alternative rock, you're going to love this one. The song is a noisy and catchy track, filled with whining guitars and slacker style vocals. The drums and guitar sound like they're daring each other to go faster for the length of the song. "Hey Dude" sounds like that last song on your favorite sampler compilation CD from 1995, so we're obviously here for it. Christopher Chaisson (guitar/vocals) says of his band's new single: "'Hey Dude' is about the unique intricacies of growing up and how they shape later life. For some, it’s cultural or based in tradition; but for me, it was my dad introducin...

New Hampshire's Rick Rude just released a new single, and if you're a fan of noisy and kinda quirky 90's indie rock, you're in luck. "Square" starts as an odd little noise rock/pop song that would probably be labelled "bubble grunge." There's just this odd little riff that sounds perfectly out of place. It's a tiny bit country... but just barely. To me it sounds like Pavement, The Lemonheads, and Guided By Voices all crunched into one. And then this absolutely epic noise portion swallows that whole and dominates for the rest of the song. You barely even realize that it's an instrumental until it's over. There aren't many indie rock songs without lyrics that don't feel like a placeholder or just a transition song in the middle of an album, but "Square" is compelling all by itself. You can listen to "Square" below. Laverne is due out February 2 on Midnight Werewolf Records/Best Brother Records, and is availab...

New Hampshire's Rick Rude is readying their third album, and we can check out the first single from it. "Winded Whale" has this perfect mixture of being noisy and sort of aggressive indie rock while still being catchy and quirky. The song has a rambling quality that reminds me of Pavement with the edge and explosiveness of a band like Sunny Day Real Estate. The song is fun and has a sense of humor without being too jokey or cute. Rick Rude are one of those bands I've always known by name (having been a wrestling fan in the late 1980's helps) and always mean to check them out more, so this upcoming album might be the perfect opportunity for us all.  You can listen to "Winded Whale" below. Laverne is due out February 2 on Best Brother Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Rick Rude, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . Rick Rude - Laverne by Rick Rude