If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Madrid For her latest single, Beck Zegans brought in her Palehound bandmate El Kempner on the surprisingly synth heavy "Riddle." While the synths in the song sound upbeat, there's just something about the song that sounds foreboding. It's heavy on groove, and not at all what I'd expect from two members of Palehound. There's just something particularly epic about "Riddle" that I can't exactly put my finger on. This is an intriguing song that is going to make me go back and check out Zegans' previous two solo singles that we missed.  Beck Zegans says of her latest single: “Every record has a problem child and I’d say this time it was 'Riddle.' I had an idea that this song could be something odd and fun to add but it took a lot of experimentation to figure it out. We kept adding new synths and sound effects and different layers, I changed the melody completely at one point, we turned the main guitar riff into a synth riff, and i...

Taking place in Somerville, NICE, a fest has been slowly growing and becoming one of the go-to festivals every year despite an increasingly stacked festival schedule. This will be their fourth year, and hyperbole aside, they've grown even bigger and more impressive for 2024. This year will see over eighty bands with ties to Boston playing over four days. They're back to Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater and The Rockwell for 2024, but they've added a larger outdoor stage for Saturday at the Grove Street lot. The line-up is stacked and features many of our favorites. Vundabar, Palehound, Model/Actriz, Dutch Tulips, Hannah Mohan, House of Harm, Burp, Jake McKelvie, Sweet Petunia, Noble Dust, TIFFY, Vivid Bloom, Zip-Tie Handcuffs, and many, many more are playing. Every single time I look at the poster I notice a band I had previously missed and get even more excited for! And there are still two unannounced bands that are pretty high up on that poster, so let the speculatio...

Photo by Tonje Thilesen Palehound has been making the kind of music that straddles the line between indie rock and folk, and since that's kind of our sweet spot here, we've always been a fan of theirs. Their latest single, "Independence Day," is pure indie rock, but with a little Americana twist. It's a break up song, but a break up song that is bouncy and almost joyous sounding. There's also a ton of pop here, despite how jangly the song may sound. This seems to be the year that a lot of our favorites are leveling up and making great albums that have mainstream crossover appeal while staying true to what has always made them great, and from what we've heard so far Palehound might be right there with their upcoming album. El Kempner says of their new single: “ The ending of a relationship that spanned the majority of my twenties illuminated a forked road that daunted me. In the aftermath of our breakup, I found myself dwelling on what that other life would...

Photo by Tonje Thilesen The latest from Palehound shows El Kemper's project sounding nothing like we'd come to expect. "My Evil" starts off in a fairly standard way. It's not quite folk, an it's not quite indie rock. The song exists in the realm in between that is what we've come to love from Palehound. But then the song's chorus comes in boldly with much more low end than expected. It's such a dark turn and creates a truly cinematic sound for "My Evil." Kemper is an artist that is starting to come fully into their own, and is confident enough to make such surprising moves. The best musical explorations tend to keep true to what fans love about a band, and just expanding that musical universe. El Kempner says of their new song: “'My Evil' is about the extremely humbling experience of realizing that yes, you Are the asshole. I found myself acting in ways I was ashamed of, and realizing how capable I was of hurting somebody when I w...

Photo by Tonje Thilesen It feels like it's been a long time since we've heard from Palehound, but they are back with a new single and an upcoming album. "The Clutch" is everything we have come to love about El Kempner's musical project while adding even more to love. This new song combines classic indie rock with the more modern style that leans more heavily into pop. It's all fuzzy guitars and crashing drums. The song shows even more maturity from Kempner, although there is a sense of desperation in the song. When you hear it, there's a sense of catharsis in Kempner's vocals, and they definitely went through a lot in the process of this song. If you tend to like music that could very well inspire anxiety, you're going to want to check out "The Clutch." El Kempner says of their new song: "' The Clutch' is the very first song I wrote for this album, back in 2020 right when lockdown started. I had been on a tour that was sliced...

Artist : PACKS Album : Take the Cake Quick Thoughts : This is so great, guys. It's fuzzy, slacked-out alt-rock with a ton going for it. PACKS is an indie act that had some lo-fi stuff out over last summer, and this proper first album is just a delight. I love everything about this, and I'm really looking forward to spending more time with the album. Songs of Note : "Silvertongue," "Hangman," "New TV" Artist : Bachelor Album : Doomin' Sun Quick Thoughts : A collaborative effort with Palehound and Jay Som, this is the sort of indie stuff you love to hear. There are a lot of great highlights throughout the record, but what I was most impressed with is how well the two acts complement each other. Some parts are better than others, but on a whole? There's a lot to love here, and a lot to look forward to on future listens. Songs of Note : "Stay in the Car," "Sick of Spiraling" Artist : Dispatch Album : Break Our...

Somehow we missed the debut single of Bachelor, the collaborative project of Melina Duterte of Jay Som and Ellen Kempner of Palehound, but luckily we're on top of the second single. I don't know why, but I didn't expect "Stay in the Car" to rock quite as hard as it does. Sure, there's quite a bit of the modern indie rock blended with pop sound we'd expect from this duo, but "Stay in the Car" is quite obviously very Pixies inspired. From the loud/quiet/loud song structure perfected by the Pixies to the fact that the guitar just sounds like some killer Joey Santiago riff. On this song, Bachelor sounds like the Pixies leaned into the mainstream a bit more but kept their edge and sound fully intact.  Ellen Kempner explains the story behind the song: “I wrote the lyrics to ‘Stay In the Car’ back in December of 2019 when I was in Florida for my partner’s top surgery. I had run out one afternoon, post op, while he was healing to grab lunch for us and as...

I'm shockingly unfamiliar with Yo La Tengo's song "Autumn Sweater," despite the fact that it was on 1997's I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One , which is an album I know I played a ton on my college radio show. But, when Palehound decides to cover it, I kinda need to go back and revisit it. Palehound's version is very true to the original, as you'd expect. If anything, the cover is a more straightforward song than the original. Yo La Tengo's version feels a bit dreamier and Palehound's a bit more grounded, although somehow it's the keys that give both their feel.  You can listen to Palehound's version of "Autumn Sweater" below. It's the b-side to their new single, "Your Boyfriend's Gun." You can get a copy over at their Bandcamp . For more on Palehound, check out their website . Your Boyfriend's Gun by Palehound

Artist : Stef Chura Album : Midnight Quick Description : New album from an indie favorite. Why You Should Listen : Chura's debut was amazing, and this is a worthy follow-up. Overall Thoughts : The long, long awaited follow-up from a favorite around here, this is absolutely a more ambitious and more complex release than one might have anticipated if they hadn’t listened to advance singles like “Method Man.” While there is not a hook-laden song like “Slow Motion” in here on first listen, what we do have is a very great follow-up that definitely appears to be something that will reward multiple listens. If you’re not on the bandwagon yet, now is as good a time as any to hop on board. Recommendation : A must-listen, and one of the best of the week. Artist : Palehound Album : Black Friday Quick Description : Latest from the indie act. Why You Should Listen : Palehound has been good for a while, and this is their best effort yet. Overall Thoughts : Palehound is another ban...