If It's Too Loud...

Artist : The Boy Detective Album : Exhibition Quick Thoughts : The ska revival is alive and well as long as The Boy Detective are on the case. This gives me big mid-1990s Less Than Jake vibes in all the right ways, and it's a great ska throwback without feeling like a throwback, if that makes sense. Plus, the Fall Out Boy-style long titles kind of make the complete package. A great listen this week. Songs of Note : "Some Drakkar Noir Wearing Dexter With a Boner," "Replacement," "The Secret Life (And Tragic Death) of Richard T. Owl," "It's Not About the Horniness, It's About the Loneliness," "She Only Dates Astronauts (So What on Earth is She Doing With Me?)," "My Figurative Heart" Artist : Thank Album : I Have a PHysical Body That Can Be Harmed Quick Thoughts : Post punk is in a heyday all its own right now, and while Thank isn't quite as melodic as Viagra Boys or as angsty as Idles, it's near-im...

Photo by Katie Silvester It was only a matter of time before a band crafted an updated version of Britpop mixed with shoegaze. Our Girl are that band, and they do it perfectly on their latest single. "What You Told Me" is a midtempo track with a giant sound. It probably lands more on the Oasis side of the genre since it's more of a rock song, but with a layer of shoegaze haze over the entire song. It's oddly upbeat sounding despite the subject matter. "What You Told Me" is majestic in scope, but also has a deeply personal sound to it, as well. Singer/guitarist Soph Nathan says of the new song: “This song’s about seeing illness affect someone I love. It’s about the heartbreak in that, but also the comfort and joy in the moments of respite. It always makes life a bit better to share in it with someone else, even if it feels like the odds are against you sometimes.” You can watch the lyric video for "What You Told Me" below. The Good Kind is due out N...

Is summer over yet? Album of the Week : Artist : Still Corners Album : Slow Air Quick Description : Dark, synthy, poppy goodness. Why You Should Listen : This album sounds so unique and out of nowhere... Overall Thoughts : I heard "Black Lagoon" early on and fell in love with it, so the fact that we get an album is awesome. It more than exceeded my expectations: it's a dark album without feeling brooding, it has an atmosphere all its own. I'm shocked at how great this ended up being, and I think people who have an affinity for gothy-ish stuff from the 1980s will find a lot to like here. Recommendation : Easily my favorite this week. Artist : Mitski Album : Be the Cowboy Quick Description : New album from the popular indie musician. Why You Should Listen : Mitski is making some of the most critically-acclaimed indie music going. Overall Thoughts : If Puberty 2 was Mitski’s coming out party, Cowboy is the culmination of all the pieces coming together...

We're starting to hit the end of the year doldrums in terms of releases. There are a few more solid weeks coming up, though. Artist : Justice Album : Woman Quick Description : The indie dance act with their latest album. Why You Should Listen : Indie electronic dance music is sort of a thing right now. Overall Thoughts : People love Justice, and with good reason. For me, they've never quite connected, and I don't know how this album sits in comparison to anything else they've done, but this is a perfectly good representation of what Justice is in my brain. The songs are catchy, the beat good, and that's all I was looking for. Will it be enough for you, though? That, I don't know. Recommendation : A good listen, might not be great for longtime fans. Artist : Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats Album : A Little Something More From... Quick Description : An EP of some odds and ends following their breakthrough this year. Why You Should Lis...