If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Nathan Keay Verböt en, aka the Chicago punk band that formed in 1982 comprised of kids ages ten to fourteen, never released an album during their initial run, but are all set to release their debut forty-two years later! Their latest single, "No More Indecision," is a two minute burst of melodic punk. It's as aggressive as it is melodic, with driving guitars and drums backing up relatively laid back vocals. This one is a fast and furious political punk song that is still going to win over the more mainstream of punk fans. Not many other bands can pull off a comeback for their teenage (or younger) band over forty years later, but no other band is Verb ö ten! Jason Narducy says of his band's latest single: “I wrote ‘No More Indecision’ on January 1st of this year. The music sounded defiant and, because it was the first day of the year, I was thinking about what’s ahead. The lyrics came quickly when I thought about the total denial of climate change by conservat...

Photo by Jaycee Rockhold Verbö ten are a legendary 1980's punk band out of Evanston, IL. They've been championed by Dave Grohl, who included the band in his Sonic Highways series and credits the band with inspiring him to write songs. The band was founded by Jason Narducy (Superchunk, Bob Mould Band, Sunny Day Real Estate), Tracey Bradford, Chris Kean, and Zach Kantor when they were all between the ages of ten and fourteen. Now (with the exception of drummer Kantor who has given the band his blessing), the band is back with new music and their first ever album! "Bodily Autonomy" is a melodic punk track that rages despite the melody involved. It shows off some serious indie rock roots, but "Bodily Autonomy" is a punk track through and through. It kind of combines all of Narducy's other bands into one sound, and it's quite literally perfect. Jason Narducy says of his band's new music: “We asked ourselves, ‘What was it that inspired us in the 80s?’ ...

Photo by Noah Sheldon Split Single is Jason Narducy's project, featuring his Bob Mould Band and Superchunk bandmate Jon Wurster on drums and R.E.M.'s Mike Mills on bass. While their previous two singles sounded like songs that would come from a Superchunk related project, "Satellite" is completely different. "Satellite" is a straight up power ballad. It's going to give you some serious 1980's flashbacks, and you might expect to hear Adam Curry's voice introducing it. Ok, that might be an extreme comparison, but it's what would have happened if your favorite 90's alt-rockers embraced the 80's power ballad with their hearts fully on their sleeves instead of rejecting them outright. It does end with a killer 90's style feedback outro before any of us can get too emotional. Jason Narducy says of the new song and video: “‘Satellite’ was the first song I wrote for this album.  The lyrics are about searching for connection which is somet...

Photo by Joe Losurdo Jason Narducy's (Bob Mould Band, Superchunk, Verbow) project Split Single features Mike Mills (R.E.M.) and Jon Wurster (Superchunk, Bob Mould Band) this time around. If hearing about members of all of these bands collaborating sounds glorious to you, there is no chance you're not going to adore their latest single. "95 Percent" sounds like a slightly more classic rock version of Superchunk. It's an absolute anthem, written as if Superchunk were planning on rocking football stadiums instead of decent sized clubs.  In a press release, Jason Narducy says of the new song: “As a liberal person, I can get tripped up by my tendency towards empathy. Part of me wants to believe that politicians are earnest in their efforts to help all Americans even when I know they are not. So it can backfire when I get hesitant and confused but overall I think it's positive because I never fully trust ANY of them. I'm 95 percent committed and 95 percent suspi...

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...