If It's Too Loud...

Photo by JJ Gonson Beloved indie rockers Team Dresch have a new single out from their comeback album, and it's one of the finest of the year. "Growing Underground" is a killer song from the queercore icons, filled with buzzing guitars and gang vocals. The song lands somewhere between 90's indie rock and punk, which is one of my favorite places for music to land. The drums are driving, the guitars seem to just be waiting to explode, and everything comes together into a big noisy finale. Team Dresch are one of those bands that have fallen under my radar for most of their existence, and I've always meant to give them more of a listen. "Growing Underground" just proves that I've big time dropped the ball on them. Team Dresch says of their latest single: “ Boiled down to its core, ‘Growing Underground’ imagines a future rooted not in fear, but in love.  It’s a place of germination. It’s the root system. The mycelial network. The place where growth begins ...

Photo by Travis Gillett Built to Spill and Blood Lemon bassist Melanie Radford has one new single out before her solo album is due tomorrow (June 26). "Sink & Swallow" takes a bit to get going, but once it does it turns into the most lovely single we've heard from her to date. The songs starts off with an extended ambient opening, and then turns into a compelling and engaging song that borders on folk and Americana. As laid back and relaxed as "Sink & Swallow" may seem at first, there is an intensity lurking beneath the surface. The twang lingering in the song is almost foreboding, but somehow makes the song even more immediate and beautiful. We're sure to be checking out Radford's full album once it is released tomorrow. Melanie Radford says of the video for her new single: “The video is a dreamy depiction of 3 inner selves. I'm a firm believer in people containing multitudes of selves that need attention and care. However, not one singularl...

Photo by Twylo Landey Somehow, I completely missed Team Dresch the first time around. When the queercore legends started playing shows again in recent years, people whose taste I respect starting freaking out, but for some reason I never quite got around to getting into them. If you're like me, now might be the perfect time to finally jump on the Team Dresch bandwagon since they're about to release their first album in thirty years. Their new single, "One Song," is giving me flashbacks from my college radio days. It's a driving and fun melodic indie rock track. In one track, the huge deal about Team Dresch is fully explained, and I'm mad I didn't spend the mid-90's pogoing like crazy at the front of the stage for their shows. "One Song" is the style of song that eventually morphed into emo, and I'll be spending the rest of the week fully immersing myself into their back catalog. Team Dresch says of their latest single: “There are lots of ...

Photo by Travis Gillett While touring with Built to Spill, Melanie Radford began going on long walks through cities and neighborhoods, making field recordings as she walked. Those field recordings became the basis for her upcoming solo album with melodies and rythyms being built based on the recordings. Her latest single, "Philadelphia," has its field recording taken behind Union Transfer in Philadelphia. The song is a stunning ambient folk track that commands attention by being so quiet. Despite being so quiet, the song has a certain tension to it based on the drone building behind Radford's vocals and bass. It can work on the level of being just a good song to listen to, and it also works on being an experimental piece of art. "Philadelphia" is a unique and engaging track, and we're thrilled to bring it to you. You can watch the video for "Philadelphia" below. For the Sake of Stillness is due out June 26 on Jealous Butcher Records, and is availab...

Photo by Travis Gillett You probably know Melanie Radford from Built to Spill and Blood Lemon, but now the bassist and vocalist is releasing a new solo album. The first single from that album is "Hangin' On," and it's a complete departure from her other two projects. The song is quiet and stripped down, and sounds like it is comprised mostly of vocals, bass, and cello (provided by Lori Goldston, known for her work with Nirvana). What the song lacks in volume it certainly makes up for in beauty and a certain captivating quality. "Hangin' On" captures your attention by being so quiet, and it's magical how its warmth washes over you. If you love Built to Spill and/or Blood Lemon, you're going to also love Melanie Radford's solo work. You can watch the video for "Hangin' On" below. For the Sake of Stillness is due out June 26 on Jealous Butcher Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Melanie Radford, check out the...

Photo by Julia Varga Portland, OR's Glitterfox are the musical project of singer Solange Igoa (they/them) and guitarist (Andrea Walker (they/them), who were a couple for twelve years before recently splitting. Luckily, that hasn't affected their band, who have a new single out. "Wildfires" combines 80's synth-pop with modern indie pop, and maybe a little early 00's indie sleaze minus the sleaze. It's a bright and bubbly song that is going to force even the most curmudgeonly indie rocker want to dance. It's the type of song that should propel a band like Glitterfox to superstardom. It's a great little indie song that has huge, mainstream crossover potential, and could easily make the switch from small basement clubs to outdoor festival stages and large clubs/theaters. Get ready to jump on their bandwagon, and start rooting for them to become rightfully huge. You can watch the video for "Wildfires" below. decoder is due out August 22 on Jea...