If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Mats Bakken New York City based Mahogany have released a beautiful new single. "A Scaffold" is a little hard to define. It seems to inhabit a world between dream pop and post-punk. It has that hazy and lovely sound that defines dream pop, but Mahogany are playing at a much faster speed than you would typically get with the genre. It has the beat of post-punk, and it's almost danceable if you don't mind dancing awkwardly. We cover a lot of post-punk and dream pop here, so obviously a band that merges the two styles together as deftly as Mahogany is going to be our kinda thing. Singer/guitarist Jaclyn Slimm says of the band's new video: “We sought to interpret the modes of self-empowerment in the lyric through traversing and penetrating a brutalist urban landscape." You can watch the video for "A Scaffold" below. The single is available for purchase on Bandcamp . For more on Mahogany, check out the band's website .

Artist : GUPPY Album : Something is Happening... Quick Thoughts : So GUPPY doesn't take things too seriously, but I forget how much fun some Big Dumb Indie Rock can be. "Texting and Driving" is a great song no matter what, but when you have a song about a 10 foot tall Nancy Pelosi, well... Listen, will this be everyone's cup of tea? Of course not. But the level of absolute joy that is just drenching its runtime is worth noting, and is something that will be on rotation here for quite a while to come. Songs of Note : "Dog (Made Me Do It)," "Mayor Pt. 2," "American Cowboy," "I'm Fighting a 10 Foot Tall Nancy Pelosi," "Texting and Driving," "Candied Pecans," "Nature Song" Artist : Stress Dolls Album : Queen of No Quick Thoughts : The debut album from Stress Dolls is a long-time coming, as the solo moniker provides a hell of a punch. A strong, robust vocal delivery that reminded me of Pa...

Photo by Jim Herrington Ugandan born, Austin, TX based artist Jon Muq has one single left before his Dan Auerbach released album is released next week. "Flying Away From Home" is the single that could very well break Muq to a mainstream audience. As with his previous singles, this new one has that broad appeal, but something about Muq just sets him apart from other artists. Some musicians just have that quality that draws a listener in and makes you pay attention. Muq has an abundance of that quality. I believe I say this with every single, but you're going to want to jump on the Jon Muq bandwagon now, because it's going to get full very soon. You can watch the video for "Flying Away From Home" below. Flying Away is due out May 31 on Easy Eye Sound, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Jon Muq, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. May 24 - Oklahoma City, OK - Scissortail Park May 31 - Austin, TX - Waterlo...

Hailing from Manchester, UK comes splint. If you're anything like me, you're probably going to see that name and immediately think of Slint, but splint are quite different from their Kentucky counterparts. Their latest single, "Continuing Endless," is a plodding and droning indie rock anthem that threatens to go into shoegaze territory, but doesn't quite make it. This reminds me of a less pretty version of Mogwai. It's also a tad more mainstream sounding than any of the artist's I've mentioned, and kind of like if any of them decided to attempt to write a genuine hit song. Of course, mainstream is relative since I can't imagine "Continuing Endless" getting played next to Taylor Swift on the radio. You can watch the video for "Continuing Endless" below. The single is available now on Nice Swan Records. For more on splint, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram .

Artist: senseless optimism When and where: Saturday 1:45-2:15, Red stage One of the artists I'm most excited to see at this year's Boston Calling is senseless optimism. The main reason is that I've somehow never seen her perform before. Despite her being local and playing out quite a bit, it just hasn't happened yet. Most people I know have seen her perform, and they either speak about it in hushed tones about it being nearly life altering, or in an excited way about how amazing of a performer Brittany Tsewole is. Her sound is this incredibly unique mix of mostly indie rock and soul, but also with pieces of classic rock, R&B, folk, and just about every genre of music out there. It's almost like she's picked up bits of everything she's ever heard and liked and inserted it into her own style. senseless optimism is opening up Boston Calling on Saturday, so make sure you get there early to have your life possibly altered forever.

Massachusetts hardcore legends Tree continue their comeback with their latest single, "Happy." If you like Boston hardcore, you already know and love Tree. If you were anywhere in Massachusetts in the 90's, you at least know the band from seeing their stickers and t-shirts everywhere. Surprisingly, "Happy" is a good place to start. While most of their peers seem to be slowing down, Tree pack just as much of a punch as they did three decades ago. This is a hard and fast track that is going to appeal to punks and metalheads equally. Plus, they inject a surprising groove into the song to keep things interesting. It's 2024, and it's time to start putting Tree stickers on every fast food drive-thru and stop sign once again. You can watch the video for "Happy" below. You can see Tree along with Scissorfight and The Long Wait at Brighton Music Hall June 29. Tickets for that are available here . For more on Tree, check out the band on Facebook and Ins...

Photo by Daniel Topete Oakland's Fake Fruit have released a new post-punk track that expands on the genre. "Mucho Mistrust" has this warped guitar noise that is reminiscent of classic post-punk from bands like Gang of Four. It also has a little bit of the dance friendly style that you get from Bodega. But singer Hannah "Ham" D'Amato doesn't sing like she's fronting a post-punk band. "Mucho Mistrust" sees her crooning like Chrissie Hynde on The Pretenders' more Americana based songs. Plus, Fake Fruit let some pop hooks poke their heads into the song just a tiny bit. It's a mash up of sounds that helps create something fresh and lets the genre mutate into the future. Hannah "Ham" D'Amato says of her band's new single: “There were big life changes and I was so close to boiling over. I left a bad relationship, entered a more stable and loving one, got diagnosed with alopecia, and I'm turning 30 soon too. This song ...

Photo by Joyce Kim SML is a quintet consisting of bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their latest single, "Industry," is jazz, but not the style of jazz that immediately comes to mind. "Industry" is very experimental, and reminds me of when members of Sonic Youth take forays into the genre. There are also elements of artists like Fela Kuti and Can, but if I had to write a pull quote for the album cover, I'd say it sounded like Sonic Youth jamming with Parliament/Funkadelic. If you're the type of person that has never been able to "get" jazz, give this one from SML a chance. You can listen to "Industry" below. Small Medium Large is due out June 28 on International Anthem, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on SML, check out the artist's profile on International Anthem's website . Small Medium Large by SML

Photo by Adrian Buckmaster I love cover songs, especially when an artist picks a song that's not one of the obvious ones. New York based Canadian filmmaker Kris Lefcoe has released a cover of The Stooges' "Dirt." Lefcoe does the near impossible feat of releasing a cover that is instantly recognizable but also reworked into her own style. Lefcoe's version includes a distorted keyboard and a much more vulnerable take than the original. The cover still has buzzing guitars and the same bass line. Lefcoe has made an homage to an iconic band while avoiding making a note for note cover. Kris Lefcoe says of her cover of "Dirt": “ Iggy’s lyrics capture a seemingly contradictory combination of raw emotion, vulnerability, and nihilism that I find relatable. The Stooges are my favorite band, and this is a song I haven’t heard anyone cover before...I think the fragility and femininity of my voice gives the lyrics a new meaning.” You can watch the video for "Dirt...

Photo by Connor Turque We've only heard one other song from Robber Robber, and already the Vermont band have surprised us with a second single. "Backup Plan" still has that 90's indie rock inspired sound that we loved with "Sea or Water," but there's almost a dance element with the new song. It starts off with a beat that sounds like a cross between an electronic dance beat and a more industrial sound. (And by industrial we mean like a factory and not the genre industrial.) And then the indie rock guitars come in, sounding slightly and gloriously off-tune. While many artists inspired by 90's indie rock mimic the style, Robber Robber and pushing it forward into new territories. Nina Cates (vocals and rhythm guitar) says of the band's new single: “I wrote ‘Backup Plan’ while I was helping a friend through a sticky relationship moment and was reflecting a lot on when it’s worth putting in the effort and when it’s best to call it. The song explores t...

Photo by Crumbstarz Somehow Hannah Mohan and Aly Spaltro had never met before working on the latest single from Mohan's upcoming solo album. I would have assumed they would have crossed paths at the same New England festival at least, but it was worth the wait to get a song like "Hell." "Hell" is an upbeat sounding song that appears lighthearted, but you just know it's masking some darkness even without delving too deeply into the lyrics. It sounds like a folkier version of Mohan's previous band And the Kids, but there is still plenty of indie rock within the song. It's the type of song that has us wanting to hear more of Mohan's album, and dreaming of a Hannah Mohan/Lady Lamb tour in the near future. You can watch the video for "Hell" below. Time Is a Walnut is due out July 12 on Egghunt Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Hannah Mohan, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Sal Rispoli Any time you read about Las Nubes, the writer is going to mention that they're Iggy Pop and Thurston Moore approved. It gets repetitive, sure, but they're quite the endorsement. The Miami band just released a new single that is going to appeal to fans of their famous fans. "Pesada" has the low end, proto-punk groove of The Stooges along with the almost poppy noise of mid-era Sonic Youth. It's all groove, but not all noise. Las Nubes have injected enough pop hooks along with their noise to appeal to late 80's and early 90's indie rock fans. It's an intense mid-tempo rocker that almost lulls you into a trance before cracking you across the face. Ale Campos (guitar/vocals) says of the band's new single: “During the time of George Floyd’s murder, I noticed several people who I followed online were posting non-stop about topics surrounding racial injustice in the U.S.. What I found strange was that they would share infographics writ...

Artist: JVK When and where: Friday 5:20-6:00, Orange stage I first saw JVK playing with Tysk Tysk Task in Rhode Island at an underattended show just about two years ago. The fact that they're both playing Boston Calling this year is pretty rad and makes that a show I can now brag about. Friday you'll be able to brag once you see JVK blow apart the Orange stage. The band started out as the solo project of Jo Krieger, and they've been playing basements and even played Louder Than Life last year. They play a high energy version of hard rock mixed with pop hooks. It's a full out rock band fronted by someone who could easily be a Top 40 star, but decided to stick with rock. Krieger was a incredibly compelling performer in a bar two years ago, so I can't imagine how much she's grown as a performer since then. We can all find out together Friday early evening!

Photo by Olivia Penilo Rainy Eyes was born in Bergen, Norway, moved to Denmark at age eighteen, met an American free jazz musician, eloped and moved to San Francisco at nineteen, had a son, and moved to Louisiana after her marriage fell apart. Her latest single, "You Just Want What You Can't Have" is a multi-genre song that will probably get labelled Americana. It contains elements of country, soul, blues, jazz, and rock in this perfect mixture that feels completely familiar without being at all boring. It's the type of song that you're going to enjoy based solely on the guitar intro, and be enamored with by the end. Everything in "You Just Want What You Can't Have" melds together perfectly. Rainy Eyes' vocals, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, drums... it all makes this a perfect song. Rainy Eyes says of her new single: "As William Bell wrote with perfect eloquence and Otis Redding sang with deep conviction, 'You don’t miss your water ...