If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Guy Bolongaro Dog Chocolate is back with a new single. "Green Stuff" is described as a "scrappy pop-punk song," but it's unlike what you imagine when you hear pop punk. It has a much more discordant and slightly unhinged sound. It's more like pop punk dipping its toe into noise rock, and then losing its balance and fully falling in. While it's still oddly catchy, no one is going to confuse "Green Stuff" with anything that was shown on MTV's TRL. Dog Chocolate has created a fun and energetic song that fits in the pop punk genre, if barely. It's always good to see a band transform and add to a genre that has mostly remained stagnant for two decades. Matthew of Dog Chocolate says that the band's new song's lyrical theme “... stemmed from the idea that while humans continually slather concrete and tarmac over habitats, nature always finds a way to reclaim them when left unattended. This echoed with the brewing unrest of nat...

What a strange week this one is. Album of the Week : Artist : Steven Page Album : Heal Thyself Pt I: Instinct Quick Description : Latest solo album from the ex-Barenaked Ladies singer/songwriter. Why You Should Listen : Page always has a knack for a good melody, and this album is full of them. Overall Thoughts : I'm not sure Page will ever be able to shake the hows of his split with BNL (a drug arrest, lawsuits on royalties, and so on), but while Page One from nearly six years ago made a pretty good effort, this album, which has a bunch of songs that bits and pieces of have been floating around for ages, is a pretty solid unit on a whole. Songs like "Manchild" and "Linda Ronstadt in the 70s" feel like classic Page, and the rest shows a continuing evolution. I expected to enjoy this, but I didn't think it would be quite this good, so it's definitely worth a spot in your rotation this week. Recommendation : Best release of the week, you're ...

Coming straight out of London, Dog Chocolate are getting ready to release their debut album, Snack Fans. Between the band name and the title of their album, I expected fairly straightforward bratty pop punk. I was wrong, since "Emotionally Buff" is quirky noise punk, with choppy vocals, fairly random gang vocals, crashing drums, and a guitar riff that's more catchy than the vocals. The guitar seems to be the constant holding the whole glorious mess together. It reminds me a lot of early Ex Models and Parquet Courts at times.  Snack Fans  is due out on March 18 through Upset the Rhythm. You can watch the video for "Emotionally Buff" below. For more on Dog Chocolate, you can check them out on Tumblr , Soundcloud , and Twitter . You can pre-order Snack Fans directly through Upset the Rhythm .