Mush - "Revising My Fee"

The latest single from Mush is a dream come true for many music fans. "Revising My Fee" is a blending of post punk and Brit pop. It's basically sounds like DEVO covering an unreleased song from Blur's Parklife, with all the snottiness and attitude that would entail. And, given the subject matter, it's definitely worthy of such a comparison. Singer/songwriter Dan Hyndman explains the song:

“This song a gripe about work/life balance and the generational divide. Income to rent ratios. And essentially just how financially poor the younger generation tend to be currently. Lots of debt, very little home ownership prospects. Lots of patronising chatter in the media about pre-made sandwiches and ready meals bankrupting a generation out of home ownership, ignoring the backdrop of a decade of austerity: ‘meal-deal critique, aspirational creed.’ The younger generations are now told they are not go getters the way the baby boomers, largely responsible for how shit things are now, supposedly were.”

The one thing you wouldn't expect out of a DEVO/Blur mash up is the killer noise punk guitar solos that take over the end of the song. It's a happy little surprise that has us thrilled to hear a full album.

You can listen to "Revising My Fee" below. 3D Routine, the debut album from Mush, will be out February 14 on Memphis Industries. For more on Mush, check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Waiver Wire - "Life In a Jar"

Considering we're both from the Worcester area, we don't cover very many bands from Worcester, MA. It might be because this is the land of cover bands, so when we find an original band from here, and they're actually good, we're certainly going to be thrilled to share them with you. The latest single from Waiver Wire is pop punk in its most pure form. "Life In a Jar" reminds me of early Blink 182, but without the more embarrassing aspects of listening to early Blink 182. It's all catchy hooks in a song that's polished while still having a raw feel to it. "Life In a Jar" is pop punk for grown ups, which is always nice when we can have something from that genre that doesn't feel like it's been written for teenagers. (Not that there's anything wrong with teenage fans, but seeing as how we're both middle aged men, it can get kinda uncomfortable for us.)

You can watch the video for "Life In a Jar" below. Hold Your Applause, the upcoming debut EP from Waiver Wire, will be out in February. For more on Waiver Wire, check them out on Facebook and Twitter. If you happen to be in the Boston area, be sure to check them out at O'Brien's Pub in Allston on January 26.

Juliana Hatfield Covers The Police

Last year saw the release of Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police, which we didn't cover that much. That's surprising, considering how much I love Juliana Hatfield and covers. We're going to try to rectify that with the recent release of a video for Hatfield's cover of "Can't Stand Losing You." The Rachel Lichtman directed video is basically a re-creation of The Police's video for the same song. It may not be 100% accurate, but it's an insane amount of fun. Plus, using movie magic, Hatfield plays every member of The Police. This is the kind of video that would have been in MTV's Buzz Bin twenty five years ago and would have powered this cover to being a huge hit. Too bad that kind of thing just doesn't exist these days. I've never been a fan of The Police, and Hatfield's cover makes me really enjoy this song, which is rare for me.

You can watch the video for Juliana Hatfield's take on "Can't Stand Losing You" below. Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police is available now on American Laundromat Records. You can get your copy here. For more on Juliana Hatfield, check out her website. Current tour dates are below the video.

1/16 Evanston, IL @ S.P.A.C.E.

1/17 Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi

1/18 Nashville, TN @ The Basement East

1/19 Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Theater

1/21 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre

1/22 Austin, TX @3Ten at ACL Live

1/24 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom

1/25 Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy + Harriet’s

1/27 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex

1/28 San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s

1/30 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

2/1 Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern

2/5 St. Paul, MN @ The Turf Club

2/6 Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall

2/7 University City, MO @ Duck Room

2/10 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head

2/11 Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater

2/12 Somerville, MA @ ONCE Ballroom

2/13 Northampton, MA @ Parlor Room

2/14 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

The Rentals - "Invasion Night"

Since The Rentals have opted to release a song off their upcoming album bi-weekly leading up to its release, I've skipped a few songs to avoid this becoming a Rentals fan blog. "Invasion Night" sucked me in enough that I feel the need to bring it to you despite the risk. "Invasion Night" has this bizarro retro-future sound that we want when we listen to The Rentals, but it doesn't sound like The Return of... or anything else we've heard from them before. If their 90's output was was the future sounded like twenty to thirty years ago, this is what that imagined future would sound like now. It's space age chic, but with some killer fuzzy guitars and an intensity The Rentals don't normally showcase.

You can listen to "Invasion Night" below. Q36, the upcoming album from The Rentals, will be out June 2. You can pre-order it here. For more on The Rentals, check out their website.

Caroline Rose - "Feel the Way I Want"

Photo by Cara Robbins

I was a ridiculously huge fan of Caroline Rose's 2018 album LONER, so I'm more than thrilled to have new music from her. Since LONER was such a huge departure from 2014's I Will Not Be Afraid, the big question is what will the follow up sound like?

If "Feel the Way I Want" is any indication, Rose is staying firmly in the weirdo pop world, but starting to edge her way into funk a little bit. "Feel the Way I Want" reminds me off an oddball early Michael Jackson or Prince. Rose's new album, Superstar, is a bit of a concept album about a wanna-be star on their path to be somebody. It's inspired by Rose's growing desires and her own ambition as well as other celebrities' very public breakdowns. Rose says "Feel the Way I Want" is designed to “...have people, including myself, not know whether to love or hate this person. They’re kind of like a walking eye roll who’s easy to dismiss, but at the same time you admire their determination. It’s the Kanye effect.” 

You can watch the video for "Feel the Way I Want" below. It was recorded during an eleven day road trip from Hollywood, CA to Hollywood, FL and features Rose's character dancing her way across the country to make an audition. Superstar, the new album from Caroline Rose, will be out March 6 on New West Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Caroline Rose, check out her website. Current tour dates are below the video.

Fri. March 6 - Albany, NY @ The Hollow
Sat. March 7 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Wed. March 11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
Thu. March 12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
Fri. March 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
Sat. March 14 - Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
Wed. March 25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu. March 26 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Fri. March 27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sat. March 28 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Wed. April 1 - Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Music Festival
Thu. April 2 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Fri. April 3 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Sat. April 4 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Hall
Fri. April 24 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Sat. April 25 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall: Upstairs
Sun. April 26 - Austin, TX @ Antone’s
Tue. April 28 - New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Wed. April 29 - Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
Thu. April 30 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
Fri. May 1 - Sun. May 3 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival

First Listen: Clearing the 2019 Decks

There may be one early 2020 in here, but these are some of the ones we missed over 2019 that we've discovered.

Artist: Cowgirl Clue
Album: Icebreaker
Quick Description: Some solid and accessible alt-pop.
Why You Should Listen: This is like the PC Music craze, but one your significant other might not hate you for.
Overall Thoughts: In my “year of glitchpop” diversion, this one slipped through the cracks until recently. Not really glitchy, but definitely the sort of off-brand indie pop I’ve been loving, there’s a lot to enjoy here for an album that presents itself as a very light effort.
Recommendation: One I'm glad I didn't miss out on.

Artist: Your Old Droog
Album: Jewelry
Quick Description: Third release in 2019 from the rapper.
Why You Should Listen: Come for the rap music, stay for the songs about modern Judiasm?
Overall Thoughts: Another surprise release here, this one a holiday release that celebrates Droog’s Jewish heritage with a ton of solid collaborators. Everything about this is great, as far as I’m concerned, and it’s almost too bad that this came out so late in the year because you have to wonder...
Recommendation: Either way, a great listen.

Artist: I Monster
Album: I Monster Presents People Soup
Quick Description: Crazy genre-bending pop music.
Why You Should Listen: This is a ton of fun.
Overall Thoughts: A madcap genre mashup affair if I’ve ever heard one, it’s equal parts odd indie, fun electronica, and 80s pop to create something that both feels wonderful and populist while simultaneously being incomprehensible. I don’t really know where to start with this, but I absolutely enjoyed the listen and found songs like “Black Cat Bamboozle” and “Dumb Head” to be addictive in many ways. You almost certainly missed this apparent rerelease/stateside release/digital release last year, so this is a good opportunity to correct that.
Recommendation: Give it a listen.

Of note:

* Inkraktare - We Are Not Really Here (This is really solid.)
* Nora Brown - Cinnamon Tree (If you listen to this, there's no way you'll believe she's only 14.)
* Crow vs Lion - The Heart, The Time, The Pen (Feels like an old radio station in a lot of ways.)
* Carissa Johnson - A Hundred Restless Thoughts
* Sorcha Richardson - First Prize Bravery
* Akrobatik and LX-BEATS - AKLX
* Boy Scouts - Free Company
* Sammi Lanzetta - Ceiling Mirror
* Ky Voss - Space Cadet
* Automatic - Signal
* KABLAM - Confusia
* Young Deuces - Son of a Soldier


EPs:

* Madison Cunningham - For the Sake of the Rhyme
* Baylies Band - Freudian Ears
* Magdalena Bay - Oh Hell
* Magdalena Bay - mini mix vol. 1
* Tigerman Woah! - Up South Vol. III
* Tiffany Day - I'M ALIVE
* Mourn and Chastity - Sun
* Stabbing Westward - Dead and Gone
* BEA1991 - The Lost Demo
* Julianna Barwick - Circumstance Synthesis
* Chromatics - The Sound of Silence
* Keane - Retroactive - EP3
* Poppy Jean Crawford - JEANJEANIE
* Donatachi - Taste
* Osian Rhys - Autumn Shades of Gold
* COBRAH - Icon
* Sondre Lerche - Britney
* Foo Fighters - 00959525
* Coucou Chloe - NAUGHTY DOG
* The Pats Pats and Peach Kelli Pop - The Pats Pats x Peach Kelli Pop
* NVDES - High Frequency Vibrations

Also out:

* Brushy One String - All You Need is One, Vol. 1
* Sunday Service Choir - Jesus is Born
* Kool Keith - Saks 5th Ave

Josefina - "Gone"

A couple of years ago we brought you the then-new album from Chicago's Josefina. She's back with a new single, "Gone." While Starry Dome was a bit more alt-country, "Gone" sees Josefina moving into more of a pop territory. Normally I bristle from a more pop sound, but "Gone" is impossibly charming enough to suck me in. The focus is definitely Josefina's voice, and once you hear it, you'll become obsessed. But there's a gently plucked guitar keeping the song moving along, as well as a horn that's used just enough to want it more. It's a breezy and fun song that will make you long for summer even more than January normally does.

You can listen to "Gone" below. The song is available now as a free download on Josefina's Bandcamp. As always, if you download it for free, be sure to follow Josefina on Facebook and Twitter.

Live Shows: The Huntress & Holder of Hands, Tall Teenagers, and Smith&Weeden, Providence, RI, Columbus Theater, 1/4/20

The Columbus Theater has been hosting a series of benefit shows for Maggie Siegel, and this past Saturday saw a line up that included The Huntress & Holder of Hands, Tall Teenagers, and Smith&Weeden. I went for The Huntress & Holder of Hands since I knew the other bands by name but had never heard them. I left with two new favorite bands.

It's going to be easy to compare Smith&Weeden to Deer Tick. They're both Rhode Island bands that play a country-fied version of noisy rock and roll, but it's hard not to since they're both Rhode Island bands that play a country-fied version of noisy rock and roll. While Deer Tick have been delving into a more straightforward and mainstream version of rock lately, Smith&Weeden are staying right in the country/rock genre. Songs like "Wondering" and "Boys in Bands" are these gems of alt-country: Way too country to be rock and way to rock to be country, but perfect for those of us that love the mixing of these genres. They even broke out a way more rock and country version of Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City" than you've ever heard before.

Tall Teenagers played next with a completely different sound. They were still decidedly rock, but more 90's style alternative than alt-country. They blend the noise of the Pixies with the melodies of Belly, which more bands should really do. The use of a male and female singer blending main vocals throughout the majority of their songs gives Tall Teenagers a truly unique sound. They played a loud and noisy but beautiful set that will definitely get me to head down to Providence more often than I normally do.

Speaking of loud and noisy but beautiful, The Huntress & Holder of Hands closed out the night with their mix of indie rock, folk, and metal. They play far louder and more rocking than you would expect, and the majority of their noise seems to surprisingly come from acoustic instruments. "Shake Off Your Flesh" is somehow even more epic live than it is on their 2017 album Avalon. They even broke out a pair of Brown Bird songs. "Bilgewater" was a particularly powerful song live, with MorganEve Swain taking over her late husband Dave Lamb's vocals and cello player Emily Dix Thomas taking Swain's vocals. The Huntress & Holder of Hands become a bigger obsession of mine every time I listen, and their live show just amplifies that.

lié - "Digging in the Desert"

Photo via Facebook

I've been obsessed with lié's blend of "cold punk" for a few years now, and I'm always thrilled when I can bring you new music of theirs. Their latest song, "Digging in the Desert," is exactly what I want from lié: It's ferocious punk, and as loud and noisy as that label can possibly be. But, they're also adding in the groove of post punk, and literally everything about this song is catchy. The guitar swirls as much as it rips, and it's all wrapped up in a spastic concoction that I've been spending all weekend listening to. "Digging in the Desert" is the first seriously great song of 2020.

You can watch the video for "Digging in the Desert" below. You Want It Real, the new album from lié, will be out February 28 on Mint Records. You can pre-order it here. For more on lié, check them out on Bandcamp and Facebook.

Jake McKelvie & the Countertops Cover Johnny Cash

It's been a couple of years since we've brought you any new music from MA's own Jake McKelvie & the Countertops. To celebrate the New Year, the band have released a cover of Johnny Cash's classic "'Cause I Love You" as a free download. It's a completely faithful cover of the original, although it is a little more modern folk than classic country. It's a gorgeous, straightforward indie folk song that keeps the fun of a cover song alive while being reverent of the original. This has us really looking forward to what Jake McKelvie and the Countertops may have in store for 2020!

You can listen to Jake McKelvie and the Countertops's take on "'Cause I Love You" below. It is available for free now via Bandcamp. For more on Jake McKelvie and the Countertops, check out their website. They're playing Sunday January 5 at O'Briens' Pub in Allston, MA.