If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Simon Emmett Twenty or so years ago, I got caught up in the madness surrounding The Darkness and "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." It was over the top fun and a throwback to the 80's metal scene, which I have an odd nostalgia for. They slowly fell off my radar after that, and when we received a press release for a new single, I listened more out of curiosity than anything else. Turns out "The Longest Kiss" is surprisingly great. It still has that throwback, classic rock sound you go to The Darkness for, but it's less hair metal and more 70's and early 80's. It's like a mixture of The Kinks and Queen, with the over the top and cheeky vibes both bands could pull off perfectly. If you're nostalgic for the best of glam rock and the British invasion (or even The Darkness at this point...), you're going to want to check this one out. Frontman Justin Hawkins says of his band's upcoming album: “You know that thing when God’s breath...

Last month we brought you "Lilydale" from Aaron and the Lord and commented that it was goth adjacent. Their latest, "The Darkness," keeps that theme going. This new track is a bit heavier than the previous single, but it's just as brooding. What really what sticks out the most about "The Darkness" is just how heavy and moody the song is. It lands somewhere between grunge and industrial, but quickly lurches away into its own territory. Aaron Perrino may have started off in the 90's with The Sheila Divine, but this is his heaviest song to date. If "Lilydale" had us curious where Aaron and the Lord were headed, "The Darkness" has us rabidly waiting. You can listen to "The Darkness" below. We are the Darkness. We are the Light  is due out in the future. For more on Aaron and the Lord, check out the band on Facebook .

A surprisingly great week this week. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - The High Country : I confess to not having followed SSLYBY all that closely, but when did they become a fun power pop band? This is a breath of fresh air from this band - it's very straightforward yet has enough interesting wrinkles to throw some curveballs your way. A really solid album. Girlpool - Before the World Was Big : I love this Girlpool album. It's like a weird, interesting mix of early-aughts anti-folk and Tune-Yards mixed with some real pop sensibility. I found this to be an utterly compelling listen from start to finish, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to it. It's not the best release of the week, but it's absolutely the one everyone should be listening to. Barenaked Ladies - Silverball : It's been roughly a decade since I've really enjoyed much that BNL has done, and especially since Steven Page left, it hasn't really been something intere...