If It's Too Loud...

Thursday was one of those nights where a bunch of shows were happening all over the greater Boston area. Some nights it's hard to decide which show to go with, but when a band is coming all the way from Indonesia for their first U.S. tour, that's the one I had to go with. I had assumed Grrrl Gang would never make it to Boston, so their show was the obvious choice. Opening the show was Boston's own Little Miss Echo. The trio played a fun set of their sunshiney dream pop and indie rock. Their songs had this great dichotomy of being light and poppy sounding while having the slightest edge of aggression. They have a great 90's influenced style while still sounding modern. They played a fun, short set that set the mood for the evening perfectly. Thursday night's show was wonderfully curated, and up next was Horrendous Downplay. They had a similar sound to Little Miss Echo, but with an artsier vibe. Their music was noisy and beautiful, with an engaging delivery. As discor...

It's been a few years since we brought you new music from Grrrl Gang, but the Indonesian band is back with a maxi-single/three song EP. Online 24/7 is a collection of diverse alt-rock songs. While the songs on their 2023 album Spunky! were more post-punk, this new collection features melodic alt-rock. It starts off with "You & Me," which reminds me of mid-90's post grunge songs from artists like Veruca Salt. What's great about the songs on Online 24/7 is just how big they sound. This is arena ready alt-rock that keeps the charm of Grrrl Gang's earlier songs intact. Sure, it's a more mainstream sound than we've heard from them, but when it's done this well, mainstream is hardly a bad thing. "O, My Love" even sounds like it's from your favorite 90's teen romcom. The maxi-single ends with "Lapdog," which is a spoken word track that's about as experimental as the mainstream can get. Online 24/7 is a great, fun releas...

Photo by Tiny Studio Indonesia's Grrrl Gang's latest single, "Better Than Life," is a ninety second post-punk blitz of a song. The guitars hit you with a buzzsaw-like precision, but it still has that dance-friendly groove that is required for the best post-punk has to offer. It's a brooding, fast paced song about singer Angeeta Sentana's struggles with mental disorder. It's the kind of song that could inspire a mosh pit and a dance party equally. We've been digging Grrrl Gang's singles so far, and "Better Than Life" is the most punk rock one yet. Angeeta Sentana says of the new song: "Being diagnosed with any mental disorder is not a nice thing to have. I'm still in the process of accepting it as a 'normal' part of my life, but there are times when I would feel super down about it."  You can listen to "Better Than Life" below. Spunky! is due out September 22 on Kill Rock Stars, and is available for pre-orde...

Photo by Tiny Studio Indonesia's Grrrl Gang are becoming masters of the melodic pop song with a punk edge. Their latest, "Blue-Stained Lips," sounds like it would have fit right in on the glory days of Lookout Records. It's a fun and upbeat punk rock song that is just bursting with melodies and catchy pop hooks. Plus, it's a gushing love song, and those are always better when there's a bit more of an attitude to keep the gushiness in check a bit. If anything, "Blue-Stained Lips" might be a bit too much fun, but we'll let Grrrl Gang get away with it because they're just that endearing. Angeeta Sentana says of her band's new song: “We were at a party one night, and I drank this blue cocktail, and it left a stain on my lips, making them blue. I thought I looked super ugly, but my boyfriend still thought I was perfect and kissed me, regardless. The line ‘Kiss me on my blue-stained lips’ is a metaphor for him liking me and accepting me for who...

Indonesia's Grrrl Gang have released a brand new single that follows May's "Spunky!" "Rude Awakening" is much more pop and melodic than the previous single. It doesn't quite have the punk edge, but it makes up for that in just pure melody and joy. Both songs are a ton of fun to listen to, and both show off two sides of the band. As tuneful and bouncy as "Rude Awakening" is, the guitar work is what keeps the punk edge here.  Angeeta Sentana says of her band's new single: “I just hate feeling left behind, you know? And I hate it when I’m desperate for a listening ear, people just don’t care. But, on the flip side, I guess, I just didn’t realize that maybe my friends were just fed up with my sh*t. Maybe they’ve tried their best to handle me and be there for me, but I just took that for granted. So, this song is basically my point of view at that time, of thinking that no one cared about me—when, probably, they actually did.” You can watch the ...

Photo by Tiny Studio When a band calls themselves Grrrl Gang, you can basically guess what they sound like, and you would not be wrong. The Jakarta based band might add a little more pop into their blend of riot grrrl based punk, but I can't imagine anyone who loves punk isn't going to like "Spunky!" It's a fast paced punk rocker that still has a melodic edge to it that keeps the song surprisingly fun. It sounds more like if The Beths decided to go more punk, and if that doesn't appeal to you, I have no idea what you're even doing here. The song describes singer Angeeta Sentana's experiences during a manic episode. She explains: “I feel like I’m on top of the world, untouchable. I do things without thinking, always chasing after that feeling of instant gratification. I feel extra confident in myself—to a point of grandiose thinking—and that I could do anything." You can watch the video for "Spunky!" below. The album Spunky! is due out Se...