If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Snooper Album : Worldwide Quick Thoughts : Some great, great, GREAT power pop punk here. It's a whirlwind of sound that feels super tight from start to finish, doesn't take itself too seriously (example: their cover of "Come Together"), and you just come away from this feeling like they're a band that has found their spot and plan to occupy it for some time. A great listen this week. Songs of Note : "Company Car," "Hologram," "Worldwide," "Star 6 9," "Come Together," "Blockhead" Artist : Rocket Album : R is for Rocket Quick Thoughts : Ken sent this one over and this is a new act for me. Melodic indie rock, for sure, but will probably draw positive comparisons to Speedy Ortiz and the sort of 90s grunce / alt-rock that influences it. "Crossing Fingers" won me over immediately, but the whole album is worth your time. Songs of Note : "Crossing Fingers," "Another ...

Orange, MA's own Creative Writing are back with a new single. Back in July, I referred to their previous single, "Can't Thank You Enough," as jangle pop and a throwback to the days of college rock. That is also true of their follow up single, but "Slice & Dice" also has that little something that officially lands them in the category of western Massachusetts alt-rock. (Orange is in Franklin County, so I'll count it as western Massachusetts...) It's a fun jangle rock song that sounds as if Creative Writing came really close to busting out into a much heavier version of the song and let the subtleties speak more loudly than noise could have. In this land of cover bands and the worst country music you've ever heard, it's great to have a band as killer as Creative Writing. You can watch the video for "Slice & Dice" below. Baby Did This  is due out October 3 on Meritorio Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . ...

Their Bandcamp lists Creative Writing as being a western Massachusetts and southern Vermont band, but it also lists their hometown as being Orange, MA, so we're going with that. The quartet just released a new single, "Can't Thank You Enough," that's sure to win over fans of classic alternative rock. It's a warm and fuzzed out jangle pop track that's going to remind you of the days it was called "college rock." I'm hearing hints of bands like R.E.M., Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Teenage Fanclub throughout the song. There's also more than a little bit of a country sound, which none of us ever would have admitted back in the day. "Can't Thank You Enough" is a killer new song steeped in vintage sounds that you'll love even if you weren't around in the previous century. You can listen to "Can't Thank You Enough" below. Baby Did This is due out October 3 and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For mo...