If It's Too Loud...

This is the album I assumed would be my top album of 2022, but I may have burnt myself out from listening to it a ridiculous amount. Wet Leg's self-titled debut album was highly anticipated, and it lived up to the hype and may have exceeded it. The twelve songs on Wet Leg are all ridiculously fun indie rock songs that lean quite heavily into pop territory. The band's enthusiasm for playing is palpable on these, and whether their backstory of a group of friends who started a band just to get into music festivals for free is made up or not, you want it to be true and it just feels true. They've created this absolute party of an album that is a serious rock album that doesn't take itself remotely seriously and is oftentimes flat out funny. You have to be a certain level of cynical or top tier indie hipster to not get into these folks from Isle of Wight. As with any band that rises this quickly from out of nowhere, I'm sure there will be (or probably is already) some hi...

Artist : Lucius Album : Second Nature Quick Thoughts : We've been fans of Lucius around these parts for some time now, and it's continually great to see them get more and more notice. This latest album is a wonderful, polished effort with some heavy hitting guest spots and a lot of gorgeous harmonies. Longtime fans will find plenty to love here, as will folks finally getting to jump on the bandwagon. Songs of Note : "Next to Normal," "Dance Around" Artist : Wet Leg Album : Wet Leg Quick Thoughts : Wet Leg is probably the buzziest new band to hit the scene in years, and for good reason. "Chaise Longue" is a hit in every sense of the word, and the overall presence of the band is one that feels extremely natural and experienced. For me, Wet Leg is odd because this album feels like it is trying to make 25-year-old-me their new obsession, and they hit a lot of nostalgia triggers for me. Wet Leg is basically what you'd expect middle schoo...

Photo by Hollie Fernando Ok... we thought we were done talking about Wet Leg until their new album comes out Friday, but then I stumbled on a cover they did of Talking Head's "Psycho Killer." I mean... how am I supposed to not bring this to you all? I can't find much on this one, but it appears that it was done for the BBC. The best part about Wet Leg covering Talking Heads is just how perfect this is. It's one of those covers that's pure Wet Leg while still being faithful to the original. As with everything great with the Isle of Wright band, the pure joy they're feeling is audible in the music. This is a band that is having the time of their lives. Only on the "Run, run, run away" part does Rhian Teasdale mimic David Byrne, but who can resist that? You can listen to Wet Leg's version of "Psycho Killer" below. Their self-titled debut album will be out April 8. For more on Wet Leg, check out the band's website .

Photo by Hollie Fernando Wet Leg's debut album is due out this Friday, and we have one last single to gush over until then. When they played the Paradise last month, during one of their songs Rhian Teasdale said that she had been practicing her "loudest and longest scream" before screaming loudly for a long time. I had assumed it was just part of on stage banter, but turns out it's part of their new song. "Ur Mom" is a diss track aimed at an ex-boyfriend. It's also a stunningly fun neo-disco jam despite the anger behind the song. But, that's part of the fun of Wet Leg. As angry as this song is, it's going to make everyone who hears it smile and have a good time. Not many artists can take rage and angst and turn it into fun and joy, but that's what we love about them. In a press release, Rhian Teasdale says of the new song: “I was pretty angry at way things had gone in this particular dynamic. It’s just a diss song I wrote to make myself feel ...

Photo by Hollie Fernando On Monday night Boston hosted what could be a musical night to brag about for years to come. Wet Leg is the buzziest band to come out since Arctic Monkeys way back in 2005. From overhearing conversations throughout the night, that seemed to be why most people were there: To brag about seeing them in a small club before they get big. There were teenagers that discovered them on TikTok who had no idea what they could possibly do besides play the five singles they've released so far. There were middle aged former frat guys bragging about how much beer they drink at Red Sox games that seemed to only be there because they saw Wet Leg on YouTube and were very vocal about finding Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers attractive. And there were enough senior citizens in attendance to show that Wet Leg has cracked the NPR audience. There were even hippies that looked like they just walked off the set of a Zucker Abrahams Zucker movie set. The main focus of the crowd wa...

Photo via Facebook A little while back my daughter told me about a comment she saw on Wet Leg's TikTok. Someone asked why so many dads were into this band that then got their kids into them. I laughed, since that's exactly what happened with us. Their latest single shows why Wet Leg is so beloved by hipster dads and their kids. "Angelica" has that upbeat indie pop sound that is all the rage with the cooler youngsters these days. It's very dance friendly, and while it doesn't sound like anything on top 40 radio (at least I assume it doesn't?), there is some serious pop appeal here. But "Angelica" isn't a pure pop song. There is some true indie rock noise and controlled chaos here, plus that rambling feel of a band like Pavement. The song also has some of that 90's Britpop vibe you got with a band like Elastica and Blur. Wet Leg are a rare band with some serious cross generational appeal. You can watch the video for "Angelica" bel...

Photo via Facebook Wet Leg have released a grand total of four songs so far, and I've listened to those four songs at least once a day for more days than I care to admit to. However, for them to truly work their way into my heart they'd need to release a cover song. Apparently they read the blog and know that, because here they are covering Madonna's "Material Girl!" Wet Leg's take on "Material Girl" is a sonic clusterfuck in the best possible way. It's like if The Melvins decided to record shoegaze. It's almost unbearably sludgy, although Rhian Teasdale's vocals keep the original's upbeat pop sound. The closest Madonna cover comparison I can make is Sonic Youth's version of "Into the Groove," aka "Into the Groove(y)." You can listen to Wet Leg's take on "Material Girl" below. The song was recorded as part of SiriusXMU Sessions. For more on Wet Leg, check out the band's website .

Photo via Facebook It's been a long, long time since a band has had the level of buzz that Wet Leg has. There have been articles written about how the Isle of Wight based band have millions of streams and only two songs, but luckily for us all they've just doubled that number! "Too Late Now" is Wet Leg's version of a ballad. It starts off as this gorgeous, otherworldly indie rock song. It's this mellow and spacey song that is swirling around itself... for the first half at least. After that it turns into a faster paced dance friendly song that is bordering on Brit pop while still keeping that spacey feel.  For their second new single, Wet Leg has given us "Oh No." "Oh No" is this wonderfully oddball song that dances right up to the edge of punk but never quite works up the ferocity for that. Since it's Wet Leg, the song is oddly danceable despite being disjointed. It's almost like a post punk band decided to play a rave and failed m...

Photo via Facebook Wet Leg are a duo hailing from Isle of Wight and consist of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. They've released two singles that have slipped by us, but luckily for us all I stumbled upon them this weekend. Their first single, "Chaise Longue," is an impossibly fun post punk/indie rock track. Even at it's most mellow and quiet with very limited instrumentation, "Chaise Longue" is groovy as it could possibly be and will have you moving. Plus, it's filled with double entendres so blatant so aren't really double (including the "butter your muffin" line from Mean Girls ). Artsy rock is rarely this much fun, but Wet Leg are a blast. They are one of those bands that are going to be much bigger in a year, and absolutely huge in five. Jump on this bandwagon now. You can watch the video for "Chaise Longue" below. The song is available as a single via Domino Recording Company. For more on Wet Leg, check out the band's...