If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Annette Rodriguez "Cool Guy," the latest single from New York City post-hardcore legends Quicksand," is meant to be a diss track. The song has a softer side than their 90's classic tracks, but it's still pure Quicksand. The band is more melodic, but still packs a punch and allows for more experimentation and creativity. "Cool Guy" is a monster of a new song, clocking in at a hardcore friendly two minutes. Quicksand may have slowed down a bit in the past thirty years, but there songs pack just as much venom as they always have, if not more. Quicksand says of their latest single: "’Cool Guy’ is like an OG HC diss track, like ‘Small Man, Big Mouth’ by Minor Threat or ‘Hypocrite’ by Negative Approach.  Sometimes you just gotta get those negative emotions out." You can watch the video for "Cool Guy" below. Bring on the Psychics is due out July 17 on Equal Vision Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Quicksand...

Photo by Annette Rodriguez New York post-hardcore veterans Quicksand are back with a new single off their upcoming album. "Crystallize" is everything I want in a Quicksand song in 2026. There is the same amount of noise and aggression as their iconic 90's releases, just a little extra maturity. It's as if maturity has sharpened the band's sound and made it more vital. It doesn't sound as if they've changed their sound to match what's going on in the indie rock and punk worlds now, but more like the rest of the world finally caught up to them. Somehow Quicksand sound more current in 2026 than they did in 1993. There aren't many bands you can say that about. Quicksand says about their latest single: "’Crystallize’ opens a new lane for us.  Post-punk self-actualization-core meets 1960s Batman fight scene.”   You can watch the video for "Crystallize" below. Bring on the Psychics is due out July 17 on Equal Vision Records. For more on Qui...

Photo by Annette Rodriguez Post-hardcore veterans  Quicksand are back with their first new music in five years. "Get to It" shows that the Walter Schreifels led band are showing no sign of slowing down. It's every bit as heavy and aggressive as their music in the 90's, just with a bit more melody. The guitars still sound like buzzsaws, and it makes me wish I was young enough to mosh and crowdsurf. "Get to It" could be mistaken for a lost b-side of theirs, and maybe it's just me but I'm hearing hints of Schreifels' more emo/indie rock band Rival Schools. Buckle up and crank this one. Walter Schreifels says of his new singles: "It’s tough to talk about your own music and what it means, not only because I sometimes don’t understand it myself but in a way it robs the listener of their own interpretation. So if you don’t want that, read no further. Otherwise, with 'Get To It' and 'Regenerate', we wanted to do something high-energy...

Post hardcore legends Quicksand are back with a new single! The New York based band just put out "Inversion," and if you've been a fan of them since the 90's, you're going to be quite pleased with this new one. As you may have noticed, as any metal or hard rock band gets ready to release new music every article you read insists that it's a return to form or their loudest album in years with multiple exclamation points. "Inversion" is a relatively mellow song, but Quicksand standards. It's still heavy, but it's what Quicksand should be sounding like in middle age. It's loud, but not as loud, and a few steps slower. But aren't we all. Plus, it is Quicksand, so expect some gloriously noisy guitars. You can listen to "Inversion" below. The song is available as a single via Epitaph Records. For more on Quicksand, check out the band's website .

A slow-ish week. I'll be covering the new TayTay when it finally hits streaming services, but until then... Co-Albums of the Week : Artist : Kindling Album : Hush Quick Description : Local shoegazey goodness. Why You Should Listen : You're looking to harken back to a different time, but not the trendy stuff that's hitting today. Overall Thoughts : Holy crap this is absolutely wonderful , droney, almost shoegazey music. A band from Easthampton, I figured I’d like them when Spotify listed Infinity Girl as a comp, but this is so much better than that. Maybe my favorite of the week at this point, the vocals are gorgeous and drenched in reverb, they’re not afraid to get aggressive, and this is a rare act that sounds like something you’ve heard before even though you know it’s fully unique. Recommendation : Do not miss out on this at all, it’s a brilliant listen. Artist : Fever High Album : FHNY Quick Description : 1980s throwbacks, but more like a time machine ...

Photo via Facebook While none of these musicians (or bands, for that matter) are exactly household names, Vanishing Life are a supergroup made up of absolute rock royalty for the right people. Vanishing Life are: Vocals/Guitars: Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Rival Schools, CIV) Guitars: Zach Blair (Rise Against) Bass: Autry Fulbright (... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead) Drums: Jamie Miller (... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead, Bad Religion) Basically, if you've been into any kind of hard rock or punk in the last 25 years, chances are you're obsessed with at least one of these guys' other bands. Somehow we missed when they released a single back in 2014, but they'll be releasing their debut album next month. The first song from that album, "The Realist," is just pure heavy thrashing punk. This is the kind of aggression and energy bands of kids in their teens would kill for. A lot of times supergroups by ...