If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Bob Vylan Album : Humble as the Sun Quick Thoughts : Lather, rinse, repeat: I listen to a Bob Vylan album, I'm blown away, I kick myself for not listening to more Bob Vylan. This album continues the duo's undefeated streak of socially-conscious party-style bangers, with winner after winner after winner. Great samples, great lyricism, great everything - "Reign" feels so different from "Right Here," but somehow still feels absolutely distinctly Bob Vylan. Do not miss this. Songs of Note : "Reign," "GYAG (Get Yourself a Gun)," "Right Here," "He's a Man," "Ring the Alarm" Artist : Soft Loft Album : The Party and The Mess Quick Thoughts : One from earlier this year, this has a really fascinating sound reminiscent of Bear Glass and Noble Dust in a folk-rockish lane. Songs like "Little Less" feel like they could fall apart and break at any moment, but the album holds itself together...

Photo by Ana Karotkaya Post punk has been having a huge resurgence the past few years, but no one has been doing it quite like Cuffed Up. The Los Angeles based band just released a new single, "Bonnie." It's definitely a post punk song, but it shatters what you would normally consider to be the genre. There's an intensity throughout the entire song, even during the more melodic pop leaning parts. But the song doubles down on the noise with plenty of classic indie rock feedback and forces in some grunge style crunching guitar. Post punk isn't usually this heavy or hard rocking, and it never combines this level of heavy with pop hooks. Cuffed Up are going to have some serious buzz behind them sooner than later. The band explains how the new song is inspired by an alternate timeline Bonnie and Clyde: " "Bonnie” is an anti-love anthem about the grief and pitfalls of a serious relationship crumbling due to lies and deceit. This is explored through the eyes of...

Photo by Noah Kentis Making a song this discordant yet this melodic is quite the feat. Cuffed Up has released "Canaries," which is this unbelievably intense post punk song rooted in 90's indie rock and grunge. It sounds like if Sonic Youth had tried to make the hit song that Geffen Records probably wanted them to. It's filled with these gloriously swirling, distorted guitars that seem to be fighting with each other for dominance as much as they're working together towards the same end. It's the kind of song that sounds like it could devolve into chaos at any second, but Cuffed Up hold it all together just enough. All of this with actual killer vocals are what is going to set "Canaries" apart from other current 90's inspired rock. In a press release, the band explains the new song: " "Canaries'" is about going down a path that you know is wrong, yet you keep going because some form of shame is driving you. Sometimes, we become n...