If It's Too Loud...

New Hampshire's Rick Rude just released a new single, and if you're a fan of noisy and kinda quirky 90's indie rock, you're in luck. "Square" starts as an odd little noise rock/pop song that would probably be labelled "bubble grunge." There's just this odd little riff that sounds perfectly out of place. It's a tiny bit country... but just barely. To me it sounds like Pavement, The Lemonheads, and Guided By Voices all crunched into one. And then this absolutely epic noise portion swallows that whole and dominates for the rest of the song. You barely even realize that it's an instrumental until it's over. There aren't many indie rock songs without lyrics that don't feel like a placeholder or just a transition song in the middle of an album, but "Square" is compelling all by itself. You can listen to "Square" below. Laverne is due out February 2 on Midnight Werewolf Records/Best Brother Records, and is availab...

Salem, MA's Phantom Ocean have released a new EP that you simply not to hear. Their Bandcamp profile refers to them as "Blues, pop-punk, and grunge in a blender," and after you hear Phantasmagoria  you'll be sure to agree. "I'm With the Band" is filled with guitar that couldn't be more fuzzy, but it's still an odd pop based song. "Broken Wings" is going to remind you of Bob Mould's solo work, with Drew Smith's vocals sounding like he's struggling to be heard above the cacophony of the music, and I mean that as a compliment. "She God" sounds like your favorite blues based rock singer got stuck in a grunge timeloop and doesn't really want to get out. "Cryptid" might be my favorite of the bunch. It doesn't sound much like the other songs, and is more of a standard blues tune. Sarah Smith's vocals get to shine in a way they normally don't. If you've ever heard their cover of Leadbelly'...

Photo by Muriel Margaret Some form of alt-pop, folk-pop, and indie rock is all the rage right now. We bring you a ton of music that fits in that trifecta, but no one nails it quite like Madi Diaz. The Nashvile singer-songwriter has released a new single that comes right up next to the mainstream, and may even cross into it a bit, without fully jumping in. "Everything Almost" is an epic singer-songwriter meets indie rock meets folk-pop kind of song. It's the kind of song that is going to appeal to fans of boygenius (and the individual members' solo work), but without quite hitting the huge scale of that supergroup. "Everything Almost" is a fairly big sounding song while still feeling intimate.  Madi Diaz says that her latest single is: “... about my constant wondering within a relationship. How much should I be saying things out loud or am I saying too much out loud? What should I keep for myself? What’s mine that could become ours, that should become ours? W...

"For What It's Worth" is an iconic song from Buffalo Springfield about the Vietnam War (although I always associate it with The Muppet Show ... ) Canadian rock icons Martha and the Muffins have recorded a cover of the Stephen Stills written song, and hearing it in 2024 makes the song sound much more like the random gun violence plaguing the United States. The cover sounds much more creepy and noir than the original. Martha and the Muffins also add some twang to their guitars. It's kind of like a New Wave meets noir meets country version of the folk-rock classic. It's the perfect kind of cover that stays true to the original while reinventing the song enough for an artist to make it their own. You can watch the video for Martha and the Muffins' version of "For What It's Worth" below. For more on Martha and the Muffins, check out the band's website .

The Promised End (our new favorite politically charged melodic hardcore made up of members of Landmines, SkyTigers, Tied to a Bear, The Effort, and Choke Up) just released a brand new single. We loved "Smash and Grab," so we were excited to already hear a second song from them. "Everything is War" blew our minds. It has a heavy dose of 80's thrash thrown into their melodic hardcore song, and it's filled with the spirit of late 60's Yippie activism. (Of course, that could be the fact that vocalist Paul Picillo starts off verses with "Sisters and brothers...) If you've ever wanted a cross between Bad Religion, Anthrax, and the MC5, The Promised End are going to be for you. As far as we're concerned, we might just have found our best new artist of 2024. Paul Picillo says of the new song: "Sisters and brothers, they're making others of the people just like you. They want you to think, everything is war. It's a distraction to keep do...

Buffalo's Che Noir is making some of the most interesting hip hop out there today, and that continues with her latest single. "Junior High" features verses by Evidence and Your Old Droog, and doesn't sound quite like any other hip hop song we've heard in a while. The song features a looped piano that is playing out of tune as the primary instrumentation. The song isn't an anthem or a banger. Instead, it's all about the mood, which fits the subject matter of what Che Noir and her collaborators' lives were like in junior high. The song is a bit uncomfortable listen, but in the same way that early Public Enemy could be uncomfortable to listen to. Che Noir says of her latest single: “'Junior High' is a personal favorite because we were all on the same page conceptually, and you get a different perspective from each artist. It came together so perfectly and when I heard the final version, I knew it had to be a single.”  You can listen to "Junio...

Photo courtesy Canyons and Locusts Boston and Phoenix based Canyons and Locusts have a new single out that's oddly suited to the cold, wintery weather we're experiencing in New England right now. "Soo All the Way" is dedicated to Sault Ste. Marie, which is the international border towns between Michigan and Ontario, aka the "Soo." The song is a quick two minute burst of noise rock meets pop that reminds me of a rougher version of Guided By Voices. It's a rough and stripped back indie rock song that packs a delightful and upbeat punch. Indie rock can be a super serious genre, and "Soo All the Way" adds a much needed jolt of joy to the sound. Guitarist/vocalist Justin Keane says of the new single: “For my work, I am part of a mentoring group based out of Sault Ste. Marie – and through that group I've met some of the coolest and nicest people in my life. One of the things they mention is that while the winters can be pretty long – and rough, b...

Photo by Spruce Bohen Vancouver's Kaleah Lee started playing music in church, and began focusing on piano and guitar as she got older. She wrote her first original song in 2020, and ended up getting eighty-five thousand followers on TikTok. She has a new single out that is definitely worth our attention. "Rotting Fruit" is a pop song with folk roots. Pop music tends to be heavily produced dance music these days, but Lee's new single is much more organic despite being a pop song. It's also very oddly arranged for either folk or pop music, and doesn't quite sound anything like any pop music you can think of. This isn't a genre of music known for inventiveness (particularly over the last two decades or so), but Kaleah Lee is the rare exception. Kaleah Lee says of her new single: “‘Rotting Fruit’ was emotionally liberating to write. Navigating through my beliefs, disbeliefs, and who I feel I am at my core has been challenging, but more importantly it’s been a ...

Photo by Mel Butler Shoegaze legends The Jesus and Mary Chain just released a new single that is a must listen for fans. "Chemical Animal" sounds a lot smaller than Jesus and Mary Chain classics, but it's still a song that sounds like classic Jesus and Mary Chain. "Chemical Animal" feels more personal and intimate. This isn't anything like the Reid's are going folk or acoustic. There is still a wall of feedback and noise to enjoy throughout the song, just not quite as overpowering. As noisy as this is, there is still plenty of beauty throughout. The song feels like it was painful to write and perform, which may be where much of the beauty comes from. Jim Reid says of the new single: "Our work on our autobiography definitely bled into our work on the album. 'jamcod,' the first single from the album, was about that night in 1998 in the House of Blues when the band broke up. 'Chemical Animal' is different but related. I was thinking bac...

Photo by Hannah Cohen We last heard from Rachel Sumner back in September when she released the excellent single "Radium Girls (Curie Eleison)." Now the former member of Twisted Pine is back with a follow up. "So What" is a little more along the lines of traditional folk-pop than its predecessor, but, as everything Sumner is involved with, the song has its very own feel to it. This one is a little bit more jazz and definitely more playful. "Radium Girls (Curie Eleison)" was a serious song about a serious subject, and "So What" lets Sumner's fun side out. The song also shifts through genres as it goes on, and cycles through so many different segments than you'd think possible in under four minutes. You can listen to "So What" below. For more on Rachel Sumner, check out the artist's website .

Photo courtesy of the band The Cosmic Vultures formed about ten years ago and became a New England favorite thanks to their live shows and eclectic version of rock and roll. Singer Derek Smith released a pair of well received solo albums in 2022 and 2023 to further explore different musical branches, and now the band is back and have renamed themselves Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures. Their latest single, "Waiting," shows off just how varied their sound is. It starts off with a killer alt-rock guitar that sounds like it's lifted right out of the 90's. And then there's the harmonies. Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures are using vocal harmonies that you don't hear outside of traditional folk. "Waiting" is a beautiful power ballad that still packs a rock punch. This is an engaging one that's going to sweep you away with its epic size. Derek Smith says of his band's latest song: “‘Waiting’ is about waiting for something to happen. Waiting fo...

Photo by Bella Peterson The latest from Laura Jane Grace might be a perfect song. "Birds Talk Too" is a two minute punk rock song, complete with abundant gang vocals, particularly on the chorus. Grace is just spitting venom in her vocals, but in a positive way. As forceful as her lyrics are, they still come across as positive and joyful. Then there's her guitar playing, which has that bouncy, solo Paul Westerberg sound to it. "Birds Talk Too" is just simply a killer song, and an early contender for Song of 2024. Laura Jane Grace says of her latest single: ​“10 years ago I started getting tattooed by a Japanese tattoo artist named Gakkin.  I traveled all around the world getting the work done literally starting with my feet and ending with getting my head tattooed in Amsterdam in July of 2022. At the end of our session, Gakkin gifted me a hand-painted Gretsch guitar, covered in beautiful, intricate, swirling design. I took the guitar back to my hotel room and imm...

Photo by Missy Malouff Baltimore's Tomato Flower released a pair of fantastic EPs back in 2022, and now they're back and set to release their first full length. The first single from the album, "Saint," stays right in the slightly off-kilter indie rock/pop that we came to love from them, but it has a bigger sound than we've previously heard. It's a slightly heavier sound, which is relative since it's not like "Saint" is a hard rocker. If anything, it sounds like Stereolab decided to let loose a bit and rock out. Tomato Flower may have been a wee bit too odd for some people in 2022, but "Saint" could well propel them to much bigger stages sooner than later. Tomato Flower say of their new single: "Frenetic guitars and drums reflect a racing mind, while a slower guitar, cold vocal delivery, and a bass that crashes into the ground reflect the speaker’s failure to articulate herself in time. The outro can be read as rhapsodic, ironic, o...

Photo by Nyle Rosenbaum We've loved Shadow Show's retro hip sound ever since 2021's Silhouettes. They had this amazing take on 60's doo wop and garage rock that is purely irresistible. Now they're back with a new single that pushes their retro sound even further. "Aunt Maizy" still has elements of doo wop and garage rock, but there is also a heavy dose of psychedelia hinted at. It's kind of like how Revolver was still rooted in The Beatles' earlier rock and roll based sound but showed that they were about to launch into something brand new. While Shadow Show may still have a retro sound with "Aunt Maizy," they're blending so many sounds together that even though the bases may be sixty or so years old, it's morphed into something brand new. You can watch the video for "Aunt Maizy" below. Fantasy Now! is due out February 16, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Shadow Show, check out the band's...

Photo by Keaton Beach For their latest single, Chicago industrial rappers Angry Blackmen have brought in Fatboi Sharif. "Dead Men Tell No Lies" might fit the term "industrial" the most of any of their previous singles. The song starts off with the noisy and sparse sound we've come to expect from the duo, but then the song takes off with a wall of noise that would make anything off The Downward Spiral happy. "Dead Men Tell No Lies" is an intense song that warps into different sounds as it goes on, which just ramps up the intensity. As with anything from Angry Blackmen, this isn't an easy listen, and it's certainly not meant to be background music. Turn this one up and let the song wash over you for the full experience. You can listen to "Dead Men Tell No Lies" below. The Legend of ABM is due out January 26 on Deathbomb Arc, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Angry Blackmen, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook...