If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Asher Thomas Boston bubblegrunge favorites Sophie's Body have a new single out of their upcoming debut album, and this one pushes the genre forward. "Long Term Loaner" has all of the fuzz and melody you want from bubblegrunge, but this one is even more pop. At times it's almost a dance track, and others it's full on alt-rock (albeit alt-rock that you can easily dance to). As pop-focused as "Long Term Loaner" can be, it's not a pop song, or even that mainstream. The guitar tunings are too far off, and create an otherworldly sound. Sophie's Body base their sound on pre-existing styles without sounding much like those styles at all. Sophie McMinn says of her band's latest single: "I started playing around with the homophone 'loner', and that’s where I get into my angst a bit more.  This was not a fun period in my life, I was feeling lonely, and really grasping for purpose post-college graduation." You can listen to ...

Photo by Asher Thomas Sophie McMinn started off as a classically trained vocalist and violinist, but then moved to Boston and discovered the city's DIY scene. Now she's the frontwoman for Sophie's Body, a band that embraces the bubblegrunge label. Their latest single, "Star," isn't what I would consider to be traditional bubblegrunge. The song is rather poppy, especially towards the beginning. There's a fuzzed out bassline over some catchy electronic elements, and it's almost a dance song. Once the guitars kick in, "Star" becomes an indie rock banger while still being a pop filled delight. Sophie's Body have been on my radar for a while, and I have a feeling their upcoming album is going to blow them up in and around Boston. Sophie McMinn says of her band's upcoming album: "In every song, there is this dark shadow and honest-to-god primal fear of failing before I’ve even had the chance to start.  Life and the search for meaning i...

Photo by Aileen Lam One of the negative aspects of having a music blog is that you start discovering bands from all over the world that you'll never get the chance to see live. It's fairly cost prohibitive for a band to fly across an ocean all the way to the U.S. to tour small clubs, and given everything going on right now, I certainly wouldn't expect a band to fly all the way over here since who knows what could happen. Imagine my surprise and delight when Lucid Express announced they were coming to the U.S. to tour, and were playing the tiny O'Brien's in Allston. Opening the show was Boston's own Sophie's Body. They were a band I was completely unfamiliar with but they quickly won me over with their bubblegrunge sound. It was a fun, quick set filled with fuzzy indie rock gems with a strong pop streak. Vocalist Sophie McMinn implored the crowd to dance, but the Boston hipster crowd isn't known for its willingness to dance. By the end, many in the crowd ...