If It's Too Loud...

Legendary rapper MC Serch has a new EP due out in May, and we have a new single from it to check out. "Questions" is the latest from the 3rd Base MC, and if you love his main project, you're going to love his latest single. The Apathy produced track is a wonderfully chill track that shows Serch reminiscing over his career and how things could have been different. Many rappers from the golden age of hip hop tend to try to play catch up with today's MCs, but "Questions" is exactly what we would want from Serch in 2026. It has its roots in classic hip hop while reaching out to the modern day. This is a classic cut from one of the most underrated legends in hip hop. You can listen to "Questions" below. Millions of Zeroes is due out May 15. For more on MC Serch, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Rick Perez Southern California's Integra Pink have a new cumbia meets punk single out with "Curbstomp." The new track features a heavy groove and a psychedelic/hypnotic swirl. The song is a lot of fun, despite (or because of?) an underlying darkness. It's the kind of song that isn't completely new since it's made up of familiar sounds, but Integra Pink have taken existing elements and turned them into a brand new sound. Seriously, just try to listen to "Curbstomp" once without it burrowing its way into your soul. This is such a great sound, and Integra Pink are quickly becoming one of my new favorite discoveries of 2026. Vocalist/guitarist Leo Mendez says of his band's latest single: “CURBSTOMP is a song that takes inspiration from places we haven’t necessarily tapped into yet.  I think we’re constantly trying to create out of our comfort zone and this definitely differs from what we’ve been putting out. I think it’s important we put out...

Photo courtesy of The Magic City Boston's The Magic City have returned with a new single off their upcoming album. "Ozma is My Shadow" is a fantastic blend of shiny glam rock and grittier garage rock. It's filled with an abundance of pop hooks while staying rooted firmly in rock. It's almost if artists like David Bowie and Placebo wanted to make a bar rock anthem. It's also coated in the Boston alt-rock sound that gave us bands like the Pixies. "Ozma is My Shadow" is a giant glam rock goes alt-rock single that is going to be right at home in your favorite bars throughout the city. The Magic City have given us an infectious song that you're going to be thrilled to have crammed into your brain for the next week. David Jackel (vocals, guitar, and synths) says of his band's latest single: “When I was 9 or 10, I read  The Land of Oz , in which (spoiler alert!), the boy protagonist discovers he was actually a princess at birth, magically transforme...

Photo by Isaac Brown Ghanian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu is back with a new single, and as always, it's perfect to start your weekend. "LIFE KEEPS GOING" is our favorite style of dance music. It's high energy, which is a trademark of Owusu's, but this one is a bit more stripped down and almost laid back. It's a modern version of the 90's electronica boom, hip hop, and soul. And it's all Owusu. No one is doing this style of music quite like he does, and every time he releases a new song we can't wait to check it out. "LIFE KEEPS GOING" sounds and feels different from anything else out there, while still landing in a style that any fans of dance music can appreciate. Genesis Owusu says of his latest single: “The world hasn’t ended yet.  We’re still moving, we’re still jumping, we’re still living, and so we shall continue. Through rain, shine, exploitation and warfare. We, the people, will always stubbornly persist, and hopefully persist...

"do it," the latest single from nonbinary soul singer jill mccracken, sees the Boston artist try out a more art pop dance style and absolutely nail it. The song is completely impossible to resist. Sure, it's a mainstream style of music, but mainstream would never be used in a derogative manner if it was always this great. It's modern day pop music with its roots in a vintage style of soul that will make even the biggest of us music snobs happy. "do it" is a fun track, and these days can't we all use a little more fun? Put this one on, and I dare you to sit still. You can watch the video for "do it" below. big dog is due out later this year. For more on jill mccracken, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Annette Rodriguez Post-hardcore veterans  Quicksand are back with their first new music in five years. "Get to It" shows that the Walter Schreifels led band are showing no sign of slowing down. It's every bit as heavy and aggressive as their music in the 90's, just with a bit more melody. The guitars still sound like buzzsaws, and it makes me wish I was young enough to mosh and crowdsurf. "Get to It" could be mistaken for a lost b-side of theirs, and maybe it's just me but I'm hearing hints of Schreifels' more emo/indie rock band Rival Schools. Buckle up and crank this one. Walter Schreifels says of his new singles: "It’s tough to talk about your own music and what it means, not only because I sometimes don’t understand it myself but in a way it robs the listener of their own interpretation. So if you don’t want that, read no further. Otherwise, with 'Get To It' and 'Regenerate', we wanted to do something high-energy...

I've been a huge fan of Glixen's ever since I first heard "foreversoon" back in 2024. Seeing them play with Glitterer shortly after solidified my fandom, and I've been trying to see the Arizona heavy shoegaze band every time they make it up here. Wednesday night they headlined The Sinclair with three other diverse shoegaze bands: Trauma Ray, Her New Knife, and Knifeplay. Philadelphia's Knifeplay opened up the show. I was completely unfamiliar with them until Wednesday night, and they quickly won me over. They played a set of loud/quiet/loud shoegaze that went from gorgeous to punishing. Their music was simply mesmerizing and sucked the crowd in almost instantly. Some songs were almost completely quiet and almost folklike, and others were fully heavy. They played three or four songs in their just under thirty minute set, and set the tone for the evening perfectly. Her New Knife played next. They're also from Philadelphia, and while considered a shoegaze ban...

Photo by Jordanne Chant Hailing from Sydney, Loose Fit are a band that formed in 2017 and has a new single out. "Bittersweet Excess" has a lot going on within a four minute song. It starts off with a squall of noise and an irresistible beat. The noise deepens just as the groove does, and then the song seems to be battling itself over being a noise rock track or an alt-pop one. All throughout, the groove remains strong and the song keeps being relatively laid back. It's kind of like if Le Tigre were playing the chill room instead of the party. "Bittersweet Excess" is the type of song that's going to make you immediately dive into Loose Fit's back catalog... but only after a few more listens. You can listen to "Bittersweet Excess" below. The EP Bittersweet Excess is due out May 22 on Dinosaur City, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Loose Fit, check out the band on Instagram .

This Water Is Life is a split EP series that is designed to highlight indie artists from North Carolina, as well as providing a platform for Cape Fear River Watch and Coastal Plain Survival Group. The fifth volume was released yesterday (Earth Day) and features five songs from hip hop artist MoeSOS DC and indie rocker Tracy Shedd. Personally, I love genre hopping releases like this, with MoeSOS DC's tracks showing off his style which brings the golden age of hip hop into the modern era and Tracy Shedd's music which combines classic, vintage indie rock with a more modern style. MoeSS DC has a killer, laid back style which is perfect as we start to edge into the warmer months, and Tracy Shedd is a little more boisterous but still fairly chill. If you went through your younger years equally obsessed with hip hop and indie rock, you're going to love this release. You can listen to This Water Is Life, Vol. V below. The EP is out now on Fort Lowell Records, and is available via B...

Photo by Cat Meade Massachusetts power emo band Cape Crush are set to release their new (and highly anticipated) album next week, but we have another single out today to keep us satiated. "Train in Motion" is everything we love about Cape Crush. It's a fast paced and highly catchy track. It's totally a rock track, but one that you can easily dance to. What's interesting is that the song feels like a power ballad despite being far too fast and energetic for that. "Train in Motion" is perfect for any lapsed emo or pop punk fans. It's that perfect updated version and more mature than you normally hear with those genres. Cape Crush might be so beloved around here since they sound like a grown up version of some of our favorite genres. Ali Lipman says of her band's latest single: “Exploring romantic connections requires a certain amount of demonstrating how you will show up for each other in a relationship, and I often felt like it required me to put ...

Photo by Robin Christian Welsh "janglepop raconteurs" The Tubs have signed to Merge Records and released a cover of Metallica's "Fade to Black." Diehard Metallica fans and metalheads will most likely hate this cover. This is a case of a band taking a song and redoing it in their own style, and this style is one metal fans typically despise. It's much more jangly and twee than the original, and much more in the style of what used to be called college rock. But, for those of us who love indie rock more than metal and are fans of Metallica but not in the diehard category, The Tubs' version of "Fade to Black" is a genuine treat. This is truly fun, and a great introduction for The Tubs into the Merge family. Owen Williams' says of his band's latest single: "I’ve always been a big fan of a Metallica ballad. Obviously I like the riffs too but I think there’s a weirdly beautiful and singular quality to their ballads, even though the lyrics...

Artist : Angine de Poitrine Album : Vol.II Quick Thoughts : The buzziest of buzz bands since perhaps the Letterman Future Islands appearance, the whole buildup to Angine de Poitrine's second album feels like the indie heyday. The two performers, a drummer and a dual-guitarist who wear polka-dotted alien costumes and play microtonal instrumental music, are different than most of the stuff out there these days. Yes, there is plenty of math rock playing in this particular sandbox, and AdP will not be the last pseudononymous musical act to perform behind a mask, but this is a case where the narrative does not overshadow the musicality. It's complicated music, it's catchy as hell, and it's just abrasive and weird enough to become a sort of litmus test we haven't seen in ages. For me, I absolutely love this and I haven't stopped loving it since it dropped. Songs of Note : "Fabienk," "Mata Zyklek," "Sarniezz," "Utzp," ...

Photo by Eleanor Petry Telehealth have one of those sounds that's both retro and familiar. Their latest single, "Donor Country (A gOoD cAuSe)," is an amped up and modern version of New Wave and post-punk. It's jerky, and danceable in the way that only that style of music can be. With this one, I'm hearing a mixture of DEVO and Snapped Ankles. It's a fun and high energy synth fest, and it will be impossible to listen without a smile on your face. It's like Telehealth took a classic sound from the early 80's, and are celebrating it while moving it into the modern day. You can watch the video for "Donor Country (A gOoD cAuSe)" below. Green World Image is due out May 15 on Sub Pop Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Telehealth, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . Upcoming tour dates are below the video, and include an absolutely stacked triple bill at Deep Cuts in Medford, MA with Perennial and Pink Lids. Sun. A...

Photo by Daisy & Tomos Ayscough "Candelabra," the latest release from mary in the junkyard, is a quiet and contemplative acoustic track written by Clari Freeman-Taylor when she was seventeen. It's much more stripped down than what we're used to from the indie rock trio, and is painfully quiet. At times Freeman-Taylor's vocals are sung, other times they are spoken, and others it's barely more than a whisper. Maybe it's because of what we're used to from mary in the junkyard, but I kept expecting the song to explode into a crescendo of noise or at least louder rock... but it never does. When a song is as fantastic and engaging as "Candelabra" is, you certainly won't miss any volume. Clari Freeman-Taylor says of the band's latest single: “‘Candelabra’ was written many years ago, it was one of my first sad songs...it has all of my teenage angst written into it.” You can listen to "Candelabra" below. Role Model Hermit is due ...