If It's Too Loud...

The trio of Bob Mould, David Barbe, and Malcolm Travis (aka Sugar) have a brand new single out that will delight fans of their original run. "Keep Looping" is a fuzzy and melodic alt-rocker that sounds like it could be an unreleased song from Copper Blue or File Under: Easy Listening. Bob Mould's solo work has been impossibly consistent for decades now, but reforming Sugar seems to have injected him with a new sense of urgency, and "Keep Looping" is a great song. If you've ever been a fan of Husker Du, Sugar, or anything Bob Mould has ever done, you're going to love this one. Sugar is one of those bands I never thought about reuniting, but we're thrilled to have them back. Bob Mould says of his band's new single: “Living in SF, I have a love/hate relationship with AI. It’s bringing my City back to life, but at what cost to society and the environment? And do we trust the current regime to do the right thing with this new tech? The new song has mo...

Photo by Ryan Bakerink Any time we get new music from Bob Mould it's a big deal. The man is a bona fide indie/punk rock legend, and despite being in his sixties and am active musician for well over forty years, the man keeps making unbelievably vital sounding music. His latest single, "Neanderthal," sounds like it could have been released any time in the past thirty or even forty years. The man has not lost a step, and keeps releasing guitar focused indie/pop rock more energetic than musicians half his age. If you love noisy and high energy indie rock from any time period, you probably already love Bob Mould, and you're going to love "Neanderthal."  Bob Mould says of his latest single: “In the early stages of writing this album, I envisioned ‘Neanderthal’ as the opening track.  I imagined a child raised in an unstable home, perpetually exposed to erratic and confrontational behavior. A fight or flight situation. ‘Neanderthal’ is a frantic sprint through dark...

Bob Mould and J. Robbins are both legendary punk rockers who have been doing solo work as of late. The two are currently on a tour together showing the different ways punk rockers can go solo in different styles. Sunday night they came to Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, and I could not resist checking it out. First of all, I have to say that I love how fantastic music venues are popping up in cities and towns not really known as huge music hubs. Places like Hawks and Reed and NOVA Arts in Keene are great alternatives to every concert being in Boston or Providence. Not dealing with traffic and having plenty of parking is never a bad thing, and these venues are first class and not just a PA in the corner of a rec center. I'm much less familiar with J. Robbins, either as a solo artist or with Jawbox. (I know, I know... I need to listen to Jawbox more.) Robbins is doing the more traditional punk goes solo thing. His set was seated with an acoustic guitar. He even brought along c...

Photo via Facebook You're going to read a lot about how the new song from Bob Mould is angry. It is. "American Crisis" is the angriest we've heard Mould sound in decades. It's not quite as discordant as he could be in Husker Du, but it's not far off. The song starts right off into hyperdrive as soon as it starts, and keeps that up for a full two and a half minutes. I think we all knew where Mould would stand on the issues of the past four years, but if you were unsure lyrics like "Here's the newest American crisis / Thanks to the evangelical ISIS" and "You're one of us, or one of them / If you're one of them, don't come near me again" don't leave any questions.  You can watch the lyric video for "American Crisis" below. Blue Hearts , the upcoming album from Bob Mould, will be out September 25 on Merge Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Bob Mould, check out his website .

Any time Bob Mould releases anything we all need to pay attention. He's just released a full band cover of the Buzzcocks's classic "I Don't Mind." In the image that accompanies the YouTube "video" of the song, Mould describes seeing the Buzzcocks open for Gang of Four (!!!!) and staring at the late Pete Shelley the entire time, studying his every move. The cover is obviously the work of a devout fan. Modern recording techniques change the sound of the song forty years later, and Mould's version does have more of his trademark fuzz than the original, but it's mostly a spot on cover. You can listen to Bob Mould's version of "I Don't Mind" below. For more on Bob Mould, be sure to check out his website .

A weird week on a whole. Album of the Week : Artist : Bob Mould Album : Sunshine Rock Quick Description : Latest set of power pop from the indie legend. Why You Should Listen : With few exceptions, Bob Mould has been the same guy for 30 years, so you know what you're getting. Overall Thoughts : I don’t think it needs to be said that you know exactly what you’re getting with Bob Mould. He hasn’t really changed his course in his 30+ years, and still rocks as hard as he did in the 1980s. More importantly, though, he knows how to write a rockin’ power pop song, and this new album is predictably filthy with them. This isn’t going to change the world, but it doesn’t have to – it’s just going to become a part of your rotation for a few months and every time you listen, you’ll be like “yeah, I forgot how good this is.” A fair warning, though, “Camp Sunshine” is a rare miss from Mould, and it may just because those of us in New England have a different connotation than Mould… mi...

Bob Mould has been one of those artists I've been meaning to check out for years, and on Sunday I finally got the chance. His Sunday night set at The Paradise will definitely be one of my live highlights of the year. Mould's 23 song set was absolutely perfect for fans of his entire catalog. It was 26% Husker Du, 17% Sugar, and the majority being his solo work. As a whole section of the 80s alt-rock lifers will only play new solo material so they don't just become a nostalgia act, Mould embraces the nostalgia while also proving his new material stands up to the classics. I wasn't expecting anything from his days with Sugar, so that was a very pleasant surprise, particularly "If I Can't Change Your Mind." And his Husker Du work is just the definition of classic. "Something I Learned Today" was my personal highlight of the set. For anyone questioning the quality of this solo work, just check out "The End of Things" from his excellent n...

Some very solid stuff out this week. Album of the Week : Artist : Margo Price Album : Midwest Farmer's Daughter Quick Description : Debut classic country album via Third Man Records. Why You Should Listen : If you have any sort of love for classic country in the vein of Loretta Lynn, you need to add this to your list. Overall Thoughts : I enjoyed this far, far more than I anticipated, as it's the perfect blend of the modern and the old school and results in one of the more fun albums of recent times for me. There's not a missed note on this, and really just further demonstrates that Third Man is putting out just some of the highest quality music out there. Margo Price is a name you need to know, because this might end up blowing up unexpectedly, it's that good. Recommendation : One of the best things I've heard in 2016 so far. A must listen. Artist : RJD2 Album : Dame Fortune Quick Description : Latest album from the electronica producer. Why You S...

First Listen's new home is officially on Thursdays for the foreseeable future. Hope that works out for everyone. Meanwhile, a lighter-than-normal week with a lot of interesting options. The Orwells - Disgraceland : All hail power pop! Easily the best release of the week, The Orwells have a second album that is just a great power pop record from top to bottom. I didn't realize how much I was looking for something like this until midway through the second song on the album, and nearly everything feels like a winner so far. Really a solid listen for anyone reading this. Centro-matic - Take Pride in Your Long Odds : I feel like Centro-matic has been around for ages, and they've always existed on the fringes of my musical existence. The new album is good, it's solid indie rock as you'd expect it to be, I think. A little off-center, still melodic and interesting. I keep waiting for some sort of leap that never seems to come, which might be the only downside, ...