If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Angelina Castillo It turns out Be Your Own Pet's 2023 reunion album Mommy wasn't just a one off, because the Nashville band are back with new music! "What a B*tch" is their latest single, and it's everything we want from Be Your Own Pet. It's a raw and furious noisy punk track that's wrapped in pop, and vicious in its humor. The song sounds like it could have some from their early 00's heyday, with only Jemina Pearl Abegg's vocals having improved since then. Be Your Own Pet have been one of my favorite bands ever since Thurston Moore and Iggy Pop raved about them, and I could not be more excited that they appear to truly be back. Jemina Pearl Abegg says of her band's new single: "’What A B*tch’ is an anthem for anyone who has ever been labeled too much, too loud, too brash, just because they dare to be themselves.  My daughter got called a ‘bitch’ by a classmate for the first time this year and was devastated by it. I told her eve...

Photo by Pooneh Ghana Austin, TX's Die Spitz are becoming masters of the heavier side of indie rock. Their latest single, "Punishers," has all of the noise and feedback typically associated with the genre, but it rocks out much harder than your typical indie rockers do. While it's not quite metal, it's certainly metal adjacent, although most metal fans might argue with me on that one. (The guitar breakdown will agree with me, though.) There's also some serious punk vibes with "Punishers" despite how melodic it is throughout. I also might be detecting some heavy shoegaze, making the whole thing sound like a mash-up of Mannequin Pussy and Glixen. Chloe De St. Aubin says of her band's latest single: “‘Punishers’ is about things or people who ‘punish.’ Whether it’s withholding love, jealousy, or keeping someone or even yourself hooked in a cycle—the song captures the feelings of insanity and frustration punishers bring." You can watch the video ...

Photo by Anatheme Austin's Die Spitz have a new single out, and despite it being called "Pop Punk Anthem (Sorry for the Delay)," don't expect this one to be pop punk at all. This new song starts out as a moody alt-rock song, maybe a little too heavy to be slowcore but along those lines. But then it kicks in, and Die Spitz's grunge and metal influences come rocketing to the front. This is a loud and noisy song reminiscent of bands like Mudhoney and PJ Harvey. Besides the driving and fuzzed out guitars is one of the greatest rock growls of this decade. "Pop Punk Anthem (Sorry for the Delay)" barrels straight outta your speakers with such a fury that you'll wonder if Die Spitz were truly in control of the song when it was recorded. Ava Schrobilgen says of the band's latest single: “It may sound like a love song at first, but when the beat kicks in it’s the obsession that takes over. The words ‘you’re a part of me’ sound loving but it can be an insan...

Photo by Blaire Beamer Nashville DIY band Snooper are back with a new single off their upcoming album. "Worldwide" is a disjointed post-punk track that is oddly dance friendly for such a discordant song. It almost sounds like Snooper was trying to make a Top 40 dance banger, but kept failing and decided to release it like this. There's an interesting vibe in the song that is almost darkwave, despite it being incredibly bouncy with unexpected little pop flourishes. "Worldwide" is all over the place, even by Snooper standards. If you like your music to not only ignore genres but straight up attack them, you're going to want to check this one out. You can watch the video for "Worldwide" below. Worldwide the album is due out October 3 on Third Man Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Snooper, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. Mon. Sept. 8 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater...

Photo by Anatheme Austin's Die Spitz have a sound that I'm shocked we haven't heard much of yet. Their latest single, "Throw Yourself to the Sword," has guitars that are both grunge and metal, and includes the intensity of riot grrrl adjacent bands like The Gits and L7. The guitars both chug along and thrash about, and it's reminding me of a more aggressive version of Castle Rat. "Throw Yourself to the Sword" is a giant, monster of a song that is going to demand that you headbang along, or at least throw up some devil horns. I'm not completely sure I'd classify Die Spitz as metal, but they're very close to metal. And grunge. And punk. This might be the one band that can unite fans of all forms of heavy music. Ellie Livingston says of her band's latest single: “‘Throw Yourself to the Sword’ is a high-energy ode to what we want young people to feel. There’s a lot of existentialism and despair in other songs on the album that still sheat...

Photo by JJ Gonson Heatmiser (aka Elliott Smith's pre-solo career rock band) is set to release a deluxe edition of their third album in a two LP set that includes rarities and unreleased tracks. The first song we can hear from the remastered  Mic City Sons is "Silent Treatment," and if you know and love Heatmiser, hearing a new-to-us song from the indie rock legends is a special treat. This one is a Neil Gust song, and just screams 1996 (the year it was originally released). We tend to love everything mid-90's, but this one is particularly special, for obvious reasons. It captures a band on the brink of ending, as Smith's solo career was just about to take off. Neil Gust says of the band's "new" song: “This one is about Elliot and me not talking, and him giving me the silent treatment. I didn't know what else to sing about.”  You can listen to "Silent Treatment" below. Mic City Sons - 30th Anniversary Remaster is due out July 25 on Thir...

Photo by Kirt Barnett Nashville punks Be Your Own Pet continue their epic comeback with their latest single. Taking fifteen years off has done wonders for the band, and "Big Trouble" shows that off perfectly. The new song might be a little more reserved and melodic than BYOP were two decades ago, but aren't we all? "Big Trouble" sounds more like the new fangled punk the kids are doing these days, the kind that's a little poppy and more than a little dance friendly, but still firmly punk. Instead of sounding like these veterans are chasing a trend, this just shows how far ahead of their time they truly were. Singer Jemina Pearl says of the new single: “I live in a country that has taken away the basic human right to an abortion and then has the audacity to ask ‘why are you so angry? ‘Big Trouble’ is about how the daily injustices are all connected to the overarching societal issues of living in a patriarchy.” You can listen to "Big Trouble" below. M...

Photo by Kirt Barnett More than the previously released singles from Be Your Own Pet's upcoming reunion album, "Goodtime!" is exactly what we should be getting from the Nashville punks in 2023. The new song is about aging and responsibilities, plus it's still punk... just a little more mellow than we're used to. It's a fun song with a killer dance friendly groove that will make you want to party like you used to, especially if you can't. It's still a rager, just a slightly more chilled out version of a rager. The only thing I don't like about "Goodtime!" is that it makes me really wish that Be Your Own Pet had still been making music over the past fifteen years. Jemina Pearl Abegg says of the band's new single:  “The older you get, the more responsibility and compromise, the more people that depend on you—but there’s always a little bit of missing the freedom from when you’re younger." You can watch the video for "Goodtime!...

Photo by Monica Murray Snõõper have been wowing us with their disjointed, high energy DIY punk, and their latest single continues that. "Powerball" clocks in at just over a minute, but it somehow feels like a full three and a half minute pop song. This is also the most melodic that Snõõper  have sounded so far, but of course, that is relative. That is what keeps this Nashville band so interesting: They play loud and fast punk bordering on noise rock, but the songs end up still being poppy. "Powerball" is a fun song that is somehow the perfect length for what it is. Singer Blair Tramel says of the band's new song: “ ‘Powerball’ was written after a scratch-off winning streak. It’s a funny thing to feel like you are going to win something so arbitrary - to feel like you are going to be the one in a billion winner. I decided to buy some scratch-offs and, to my surprise, I won $50 on a $2 scratch off. I kept buying scratch-offs from different gas stations around town...

Photo by Kirt Barnett Here are words I couldn't be more excited to write: Be Your Own Pet are about to release their first album in fifteen years. The new single off that album, "Worship the Whip," sounds exactly like what we want Be Your Own Pet to sound like in 2023. It still has that noisy punk aspect, but a tiny bit mellowed out. It also fits in perfectly with the current breed of punk that is more than a little dance friendly. All this truly does is show how far ahead Be Your Own Pet was back when they first started out. "Worship the Whip" exceeds all expectations we could have possibly had about a BYOP reunion. Vocalist Jemina Pearl Abegg says of the band's new song: “‘Worship The Whip’ is about the right wing authoritarian personality. Aggressive and domineering to people who don’t think like them, while at heart being a submissive to the authority figures who use and abuse them.”  You can watch the video for "Worship the Whip" below. Mommy ...