If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Rosie Cohe I'm old enough to remember when Eli Paperboy Reed first appeared in the Boston music scene, the general reaction was "Who is this kid singing soul music?" to "This kid is really great!" Now, that "kid" just released a single called "Like We Used To," with the line "Let's make love like we used to," which makes me feel downright ancient. The new song from Reed's upcoming Swamp Dogg produced album, is a fantastic example of neo-soul. It's one of those songs that sounds like it could have been released any time in the past six or so decades while still sounding like 2026. Reed is at his best when he's both vintage and modern, and "Like We Used To" easily stands up with our favorite songs from Reed.  Eli Paperboy Reed says of working with Swamp Dogg: “I knew Swamp had been focusing on his own material for quite some time and probably hadn’t produced another artist in thirty years, but when I...

Photo courtesy Yep Roc Records It's hard to believe that Eli Paperboy Reed has been consistently making great music for over twenty years now. His music keeps sounding fresh, and he's become a veteran of the neo-soul movement. His latest single, "Love You More," is a duet with up-and-coming artist Zaniah. It has a little bit more of an R&B sound than his typical release, but it's still a killer soul song. It's a positive song that helps remind you why you love music so much. It's a bit of a cheesy love song, but when one is done as well as "Love You More," that's not necessarily a bad thing. We can pretty much guarantee we'll cover anything Reed puts out, and when it's this good, it's a pure pleasure. Eli Paperboy Reed says of his latest single: "When I was 21 and still living in Boston I sang with a gospel group, The Silver Leaf Gospel singers. The group had been founded in 1945 and all of the members were at least 50 ye...

Photo by Rex Creative Eli Paperboy Reed has gone from young, whippersnapper upstart to elder statesmen of the neo-soul scene. His latest single shows that growth perfectly. "Getting There" is soul and Americana for adults. This could very well be his most mature music to date, and "Getting There" is the kind of song that can appeal to literally any music fan. It's smooth, but with just the slightest bite to keep things interesting. Plus, Reed's upcoming album is produced by Swamp Dogg, so give him a little extra credibility. (Not that he needs it...) While "Getting There" is rooted in soul, it also has branches in folk, country, and rock and roll.  Eli Paperboy Reed says of his latest single: “This is grown folks music. I’m not 25 anymore, and I don’t want to make records that sound like I am. I want to make music that’s reflective not just of where I’ve been, but where I’m at right now .” You can listen to "Getting There" below. The albu...

Photo courtesy Yep Roc Records The Fleshtones have been around since 1976, and are still making killer rock and roll. The band's latest single, "You Say You Don't Mind It," is that perfect mix of vintage punk that harkens back to 1950's rock and roll. This is the kind of single that could have come out at any point in the last fifty years. It's always great to hear a band that started out nearly five decades ago still be able to come out with a song as great as this one. Plus, it's werewolf themed, so it's perfect for this time of year. "You Say You Don't Mind It" is a nearly perfect vintage punk/rock and roll track and is a must add to all of your Halloween playlists. You can listen to "You Say You Don't Mind It" below. It's Getting Late (... and More Songs About Werewolves)" is due out November 1 on Yep Roc Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on The Fleshtones, check out the band on Facebook . ...

Photo by Matt Gaillet "Cigarette" is the third single from Louisa Stancioff's upcoming album, and it's not quite like either of the pervious singles. "Gold" was a little more folk meets alt-pop, and "Nobody's Watching" had more of an indie rock sound. The third song from the Maine based artist is more of a straightforward singer-songwriter track. There is still some of the alt-pop catchiness in "Cigarette" and some of the indie rock noise, but for the most part the song sticks to a singer-songwriter base. It's the slight flourishes into other genres that keep Stancioff's song interesting, which is what we're coming to enjoy about her music. Louisa Stancioff says of her latest single: “Zack [Leavitt] set up a drum machine, a dreamy synth loop, and we both started playing guitar. We came out of the jam with most of the song form, and I wrote the lyrics and bridge one night while my roommate was cooking me dinner.  It's a...

Photo by Matt Gailet Maine is one of those places that has a sneaky amount of creative and talented artists either from or living there. One of our new favorites is Louisa Stancioff. Her latest single, "Nobody's Watching," continues what we heard with the previous single as it straddles the worlds between alt-pop and folk. However, "Nobody's Watching" has a lot more indie rock in it than "Gold" does. The new song starts off in a more mainstream folk sort of way but then evolves into a sound more similar to Squirrel Flower or Mothers. This is the kind of song that rewards repeated listen, and not just listening with it on in the background. We were looking forward to Stancioff's upcoming album, but we're now impatiently waiting for more. Louisa Stancioff says of her new single: “There are times in life when you’re so present, so fully immersed in the moment that you can catch a glimpse of another universe, of a realm beyond our own/  It migh...

Photo by Matt Gaillet Hailing from Maine, Louisa Stancioff is set to release her debut album. The first single from the album, "Gold," is an absolutely mesmerizing track that lives in the world between folk and alt-pop, leaning a little more into folk. Stancioff's vocals are what truly draw you in and set a song like "Gold" apart from others in the genre. Her voice just conveys so much emotion and feeling that it's impossible not to drop everything to pay attention to her. It's a fairly sparse song that is still full and lush. In a few years you'll be able to brag about listening to this early in her career. We're jumping on the bandwagon, and we invite you to join us. Louisa Stancioff says of her new single: “There are times in life when you’re so present, so fully immersed in th e moment that you can catch a glimpse of another universe, of a realm beyond our own.  It might last for a second or an  hour, it might come in the midst of bliss or sa...

Steely Dan is in a bit of a resurgence lately. I can't say I've ever gotten the whole Steely Dan thing, but I do love when Eli Paperboy Reed turns a non-soul/R&B song into his own style, and that's what he's done with "Do It Again." The jazz rock classic is reworked as a classic soul song, which is what Reed has always done best. Steely Dan fans may enjoy this as a curiosity, but fans of Reed's and neo-soul in general are going to love this as just a killer soul song. That's one of Reed's superpowers: He can take a song you've never liked and turn it into gold. Eli Paperboy Reed says of the new song: " Sometimes it pays when things don’t work out. From time to time, I get asked to do things for movies, television and commercials. In this instance, I was asked to put my spin on Steely Dan’s 'Do It Again.' My concept (inspired by the sounds of my friend Nick Waterhouse), came fast. I took my Brooklyn crew into my favorite all-ana...

Photo by Laura Czech The latest from Jenny Owen Youngs is this interesting mix of modern folk-pop and a more indie version of folk. "It's Later Than You Think" is a warm and welcoming folk song with some beats more along the lines of pop than folk. But the song just has this unique certain something to it that keeps it from being a purely pop song. It's almost like there is a little too much pop in the song to make it folk-pop, or it could be a very 90's alt-rock/singer-songwriter quality to Youngs' vocals, but "It's Later Than You Think" is one of the more engaging folk songs to come across our inbox in quite some time. Jenny Owen Youngs says of her latest single: “When we got together to write, I was feeling particularly preoccupied with my relationship to my phone, social media, and the internet in general. It was the summer of 2021 and the world still felt a ways off from returning to any semblance of social normalcy. I had also moved away fr...

Last year we were pleasantly surprised by Eli Paperboy Reed's album of Merle Haggard covers. The neo-soul long timer taking on classic country songs didn't sound like it would work, but Reed pulled it off expertly. Imagine our surprise when we saw that Reed had released a cover of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades." A soul version of a (if not the) legendary metal/punk song really shouldn't work, but this is great. Sure, there's the novelty factor of a soul version of a classic metal song at work here, but it's impossible not to enjoy Reed's version of "Ace of Spades" purely as a great song. This is a ton of fun, and a surprise must listen. Eli Paperboy Reed says of his cover: “‘The Ace of Spades’ basically happened by accident.  My guitar player at the time started playing the iconic riff at a soundcheck and I, having never heard the original, started playing along. The band fell in and the arrangement wrote itself.” You can listen to Eli Paper...

Photo by Lisa Czech It's been over a decade since Jenny Owen Youngs has released a full length studio album, so we're obviously thrilled that she has a new one coming out in September. The first single from the album, "Avalanche," was co-written by Madi Diaz, and it's the perfect kind of singer/songwriter music that has just the slightest bit of folk, country, pop, and indie rock to appeal to virtually any music fan. There are times I hate referring to music as mainstream because that's usually meant as an insult, but in this case it's apt, and when it's done this well I can't imagine anyone complaining. "Avalanche" has breezy vocals from Youngs and a gravity to it that is sure to suck you in. Jenny Owen Youngs says of her new single: “An avalanche is an extreme force, it can cause great harm, and when it’s over, you can be certain things will be different than they were before.  When it came time to name the album, this song leapt forwar...

I'm (fairly) knowledgeable about the Boston rock and punk scene, but the 1960's soul scene is something I'm not familiar with at all. Luckily Eli "Paperboy" Reed has curated an upcoming album showcasing releases from Boston record store owner and label owner Skippy White. One of the songs that has been unearthed is Earl Lett Quartet's "Do the Thing." This is just pure, classic 1960's soul. It may not be one of the classics put out by Motown, but if you love forgotten nuggets and/or the Boston music scene, you need to check this out. Eli "Paperboy" Reed says of Earl Lett and "Do the Thing": “Earl Lett was a journeyman saxophonist and singer originally from Alabama. He posted up in Boston in the mid-60s with a residency at The Mad Russian featuring different vocalists including Billy Thompson and the legendary Lotsa Poppa. Boston clearly made an impression on Earl since he later named his own label Beantown, but prior to that he...

Photo via Facebook The latest from Elf Power is exactly what we'd expect from Elf Power in 2022. "Soft Trash" might be a little less weird than their earlier music. In fact, it's a great little oddball song with some killer pop hooks, but that seems pretty standard from most bands after they've been around for almost three decades. But, this is still Elf Power so as mainstream as this might sound in comparison, this is hardly a mainstream song. This might help mark Elf Power as entering their dad rock phase, and that's going to make us very happy. You can watch the video for "Soft Trash" below. Artificial Countrysides is out July 15 on Yep Roc Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Elf Power, check out the band's website .

Photo by Jason Thrasher Athens indie rock legends Elf Power are releasing their first new album in five years. The Elephant Six band has been kicking around for twenty eight years at this point, which is long enough that you'd expect them to slow down and start to release mediocre music, but if "Undigested Parts" is any indication, their upcoming album is going to be pretty great. "Undigested Parts" may not be as groundbreaking as A Dream in Sound sounded when I was in college, but that's only because music has caught up with Elf Power. This is a great indie rock song with some serious oddball pop hooks. It has just enough of that indie psychedelic sound so that you'll instantly know it's Elf Power.  You can watch the video for "Undigested Parts" below. Artificial Countrysides is due out July 15 on Yep Roc Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Elf Power, check out the band's website .

While the latest single from Eli Paperboy Reed's upcoming album of Merle Haggard covers is a Merle Haggard original, it's actually a cover of an unreleased cover. I'll let Reed explain: “In 1969, Capitol Records commissioned a duet version of this song from Buck Owens, who was their biggest country star, and Bettye Swann, who was their most successful soul singer. The label ultimately shelved it out of fears that an interracial collaboration would damage Buck’s career, but a few of the acetates eventually leaked out, and I happen to own one of them. "When I decided to record an album of Merle Haggard songs I knew that wanted to pay homage to this version. I called Sabine and explained the story and my vision for resurrecting the long lost duet and she was thrilled to step into Swann’s shoes and helped deliver an unforgettable—and long overdue—rendition. "It’s probably the most straight ahead interpretation on the album, and that’s the way I wanted it. The arrangem...

Last month we were blown away by the fact that Eli Paperboy Reed was releasing an album of Merle Haggard covers, and even more blown away by the fact that the first song was so great! With the second single Reed proves that wasn't just a fluke. Reed takes on "I'm Bringing Home Good News." The original is just a pure classic country song. It's the exact type of song you associate with Haggard, and would not be anything you'd expect to hear from a traditional neo-soul artist like Reed. Reed re-imagines the song as a classic soul standard. This sounds much more like a James Brown cover than a Merle Haggard one, and harkens back to the day when artists would regularly cover each other over genres. This is such a masterfully done cover that we really can't wait to hear more from Reed's Merle Haggard tribute album! You can listen to Eli Paperboy Reed's version of "I'm Bringing Home Good News" below. Down Every Road is due out April 29 on Ye...