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Lisa SQ - "Make It Up to You"

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Photo by Martin Reis Ontario's Lisa SQ is making some of the most interesting pop music out there today. Her latest single, "Make It Up to You," is a light sounding track that sounds cooler than pop music has in years. The guitar that starts the song will instantly suck you in, and from there the song has an oddly retro cool feel despite not sounding like it belongs to any particular decade. It also exists without being tied to any specific genre. There's some 60's psychedelia, modern pop, 90's alt-rock, maybe some New Wave, some neo-folk, and maybe some hints of calypso. Lisa SQ blew us away in September with "Cold Little Fingers," and continues to do so with "Make It Up to You." You can watch the video for "Make It Up to You" below. Reel Me In is due out November 21. For more on Lisa SQ, check out the artist's  website .

Miss Grit - "Tourist Mind"

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Photo by Hoseon Sohn Miss Grit is New York based Korean American musician Margaret Sohn. Their latest single, "Tourist Mind," is a mostly techno song that mixes in analog instruments such as guitar and synths, with a more traditional electronic dance sound. The result is a techno song that straight up rocks. It's heavy, with Sohn's soft vocals sounding out of place, but working out perfectly anyway. There are also occasional strings, giving "Tourist Mind" a larger, more cinematic scope. It's the kind of song that you could easily dance to, or simply listen and dissect the different parts. Even if you don't typically like electronic or dance music, Miss Grit may end up being for you. Miss Grit says of their latest single: “I’ve never wanted to be so alone. It’s about how curiosity for other people’s thoughts can slowly disorient you and make it harder to return to yourself.” You can watch the video for "Tourist Mind" below. The single is out...

Pat Kennedy - "Somehow"

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Boston's Pat Kennedy is being called "the Gen-Z E Street Band," and his single "Somehow" will give you an idea why. It's not so much that Kennedy's sound matches Springsteen's, it's more how earnest he is. "Somehow" is more pop focused, but it's still rock and roll at its finest. Plus, the horn section in the song is untouchable. "Somehow" is a blend of pop, garage rock, classic rock, and Midwest emo to create a sound that's all Pat Kennedy's. This song is a killer anthem that is going to get jammed straight into your skull whether you want it there or not, and trust us, you're going to want it stuck in your head for the rest of the day. You can watch the video for "Somehow" below. Table 42 is due out November 14. For more on Pat Kennedy, check out the artist on Instagram . There will be an album release show on November 14 at 259 Elm St in Somerville, MA.

Live Shows: The Ghouls, Tysk Tysk Task, and Makeout Palace, The Lilypad, Cambridge, MA 10/17/25

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My love of Tysk Tysk Task is heavily documented here at If It's Too Loud..., so I try to get out anytime they play. The Ghouls have been quickly becoming another favorite due to their fun and energetic live shows, and I've heard good things about Makeout Palace. Once these three bands announced a show together at The Lilypad (a beloved venue I don't get to nearly enough), I obviously needed to attend. Makeout Palace opened the show, and are fairly hard to define. Their sound was all over the place, especially from song to song. It was mostly alt-rock with a side of pop, but some songs were more punk, and another was almost straight up ska. They played a few songs as a guitar/bass/drums trio before they were joined by a saxophone player for the rest of their set. They were a bunch of fun with a solid set, and their die hard fans were well represented in the crowd. It's always great to discover a band like this, since now I have new-to-me albums to check out, and a new ba...

The Grownup Noise - "We Become Roses"

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Boston's own The Grownup Noise have been around for twenty years and are about to release their first album with all original members since 2015. The first single off their upcoming album, "We Become Roses," is a fascinating and endearing slice of indie rock with a heavy pop streak. It is filled with mesmerizing melodies and harmonies, stopping just shy of being twee. The twin vocals of Paul Hansen and Katie Franich are completely magical together, and "We Become Roses" will remind you of your favorite 00's indie rock bands, which is what The Grownup Noise are. Paul Hansen says of his band's latest single: “I started writing it after speaking with an old friend who’s going through a divorce and in A.A. for alcohol addiction, He was trying to work on himself, but was also clearly hitting that ‘is this all there is?’ moment in life. I wished I could’ve been in the same state as him — we live far apart — so I imagined a road trip we might take together, the...

The Mendozaz - "An American Werewolf in London, Ontario"

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Photo by Alex Russel Toronto's The Mendozaz have a new single out just in time for Halloween. "An American Werewolf in London, Ontario" is a delightful pop-punk burst in less than two minutes. It's a fast paced song that still sounds light and fun. It has the edge of classic pop punk bands like Descendents mixed with a more modern pop sheen. This one is undeniably catchy, and despite the subject matter, it can be enjoyed at any time of the year. "An American Werewolf in London, Ontario" is a perfect mix of both the punk and pop side of pop punk. Frontman Jonny says that the band's new single is  “... an epic tale of forbidden inter-species romance spread across the border. It was supposed to be some menacing, proggy thing but the peppy, infectious vocal hook won out and here we are. Classic example of heart over head. Kind of like our werewolf friend.” You can watch the video for "An American Werewolf in London, Ontario" below. The Complete Fic...

St. Panther - "The Deal"

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Photo by Julian Budge Los Angeles based Mexican/Columbian artist, singer, rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist St. Panther has a brand new single out. "The Deal" is pure R&B mixed with neo-soul. It has the feeling of classic R&B with a modern edge to it. It's the kind of song that is instantly intriguing. Even if you're not fully won over at the beginning, you want to keep listening to it. Dani Bojorges-Giraldo's (aka St. Panther) vocals have something truly unique to them. They don't have a traditionally R&B sound to them, but it works perfectly with the song. Despite how vintage "The Deal" is, St. Panther is pushing the genre forward with this song. St. Panther says of their latest single: “Now I’m not sure if it’s always right to, but I tend to put music where prolonged silences live. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to say what sometimes only music can, but in this case I wish someone had known me better and wanted to write a song...

Westbound Train - "Slippery Slope"

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Boston's Westbound Train have been at it since 2001, and the ska/soul band are back with new music. "Slippery Slope" is as chill as ska can be, and Obi Fernandez's vocals are as much the focus as the horns (which is very rare in this genre). It's the infusion of soul into the music that keeps Westbound Train standing apart from their peers. Even if you never went through a ska phase or feel you've outgrown the genre, "Slippery Slope" is going to appeal to you. It's been said that Riot Fest is the Warped Tour for people with mortgages and kids. In that case, Westbound Train are the same for ska. Obi Fernandez says of the band's new single: “ ‘Slippery Slope’ is a reminder to keep showing up, even when life feels heavy.  The truth is, it’s sweeter when we’re fully here—alive, aware, and present in the moment we’ve been given. We all wrestle with doubt and insecurity; none of us are alone in it. There’s a whole lot of us out here just trying to ...

The Chelsea Curve - "Rally 'Round"

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Photo by Reuben The Chelsea Curve are one of our favorite Boston garage rock bands, which is quite a statement seeing as how many killer garage rock bands there are in the city. The trio's latest single, "Rally 'Round," leans more towards the mod side of their sound with some jangle pop thrown in. The single is delightfully retro, and is deeper into a vintage sound than The Chelsea Curve typically go. It's a fun song, and I'm hearing a little bit of late 60's hippie vibes in "Rally 'Round." It's a song about community, and might be the exact kind of song many of us could use at this point in 2025. Linda Pardee (bass, vocals, keyboards) says of her band's new single: “The lyrics were initially about friendships, acquaintances, people coming into your life. Being part of a community. Finding your people. Despite differences, we can or should be able to at least co-exist. I realized that, since writing the lyrics, they may come across a ...

Live Shows: Modest Mouse and Built to Spill, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA 10/15/25

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Modest Mouse touring with Built to Spill is a tour that would have been a dream come true for me in college, and now over two decades later, it's still a dream line up. Of course, if I had gone to see this tour in the 90's, it would have been in a much smaller venue than MGM Music Hall at Fenway.  I'm not sure if it was advertised as such, but I had no idea that Modest Mouse was performing The Moon & Antartica in full on this tour. It was a pleasant surprise, and explains the setlist. (I can't be the only one considering how many people were yelling out requests for the entire show._ The beginning of that album can't be beat, with the opening song "3rd Planet" being a personal favorite, "Dark Center of the Universe" being a classic at this point, and "Twin Cities Made of Ash" working the crowd into a dancing frenzy. In 2025, Modest Mouse might be the most underrated live band in music today, with frontman Isaac Brock working himself...

Tysk Tysk Task - "Toadstool"

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Photo by Alex Ilyadis "Toadstool" has been a favorite of mine in Tysk Tysk Task's set for quite a while now, so I'm thrilled that the Lowell indie grunge band has an official release for the song. For this one, singer/guitarist Samantha Hartsel and guitarist Rick Martel (also of Chainlacing) are joined by bassist Keith Dusoe (Gut Health, Pure Waves) and drummer Joe Milia (Burp., MOLD). My favorite part of the song is the interplay of Hartsel and Martel's guitars, with Hartsel having a grungy and crunchy sound to hers and Martel providing shoegaze feedback. "Toadstool" is an intense song, with vocals that sound desperate and pleading, and one of the most chill breakdowns ever to help ground the whole thing. As with all Tysk Tysk Task songs, crank this one up and get ready to be blown away. You can watch the Asher Thomas directed video for "Toadstool" below. For more on Tysk Tysk Task, check out the band on Instagram  and Bandcamp . They'll b...

Alex Little - "Sounds Like a Deal"

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Alex Little started off in high school playing drums with Vapid, and then fronting Alex Little and the Suspicious Minds. Now the Vancouver artist is solo with her latest single, "Sounds Like a Deal." This new song lands somewhere in between pop and punk without being pop punk. It's the kind of song that pop fans will consider rock and rock fans will consider pop. Luckily, those of us open to new sounds are going to adore "Sounds Like a Deal." It's melodic, but with just enough of an edge to keep from becoming too saccharine. It's a fun and infectious song, and we're prepared to become Alex Little superfans by the end of the year. Alex Little says of her new single, which was inspired by a documentary on The Jerry Springer Show : “The poor treatment and exploitation of the people on the show was truly awful and I needed to sing about it." You can listen to "Sounds Like a Deal" below. Spider in the Sink is due out November 19. For more o...

runo plum - "Pond"

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Of all of the artists we've discovered this year that feel like they're going to become huge, none have that feeling like runo plum. The singer-songwriter's latest single, "Pond," seems more traditionally mainstream than her previous singles. This one just has that little something that sounds like a hit song. plum's vocals are exquisite in "Pond," and the song dances along a line between folk and indie rock. There's just enough of an indie rock edge to keep things interesting (and us music snobs satisfied), while keeping the song just mainstream enough to your average music listener. runo plum has something mesmerizing with "Pond," and we can't recommend it highly enough. You can watch the video for "Pond" below. patching is due out November 14 on Winspear, and is available for pre-order here . For more on runo plum, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include a February 8 show...

Lou Salome - "Your Eyes Immaculate"

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Photo by Max Lakner The latest single from Lou Salome (the duo of Leah Hennessey and Jack Kilmer) is being referred to as "scuzz pop," and I can't say I disagree with that label. "Your Eyes Immaculate" is a dreamy song that is pop based, but more along the way that 90's alt-rock now sounds poppy thirty years later. This one is reminding me of a mixture of Matthew Sweet and Kurt Vile, but somehow more poppy and more grimy. The song has a definite pop sheen to it while still sounding a little scuffed up. "Your Eyes Immaculate" is so close to being a mainstream singer-songwriter/pop track, but the band shuffles it off into its own territory, which is why you're going to love it. Jack Kilmer says of his band's latest single: “It’s our attempt at a dream pop anthem. The mixing was where it all came to life — Leah's part in the bridge, which is weird, ASMR’y whispers, and beatboxing are all from the original demo we made. The song reminds us ...

Ezra Furman - "One Hand Free"

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Photo courtesy of the artist Earlier this year, Ezra Furman released the excellent Goodbye Small Head , and now the Boston singer-songwriter is back with a new standalone single. Proving she can do pretty much everything, "One Hand Free" musically fits a pretty standard singer-songwriter format. It sounds fairly 70's AM radio to me, and could be the soundtrack to many of our childhoods. But, this is an Ezra Furman song after all, so her vocals and lyrics certainly don't fit the 70's. The song kind of meanders along in  its own way, which is a style only Furman can truly pull off this well. As with any song from Furman, "One Hand Free is endlessly captivating and an instant classic. Ezra Furman says of her latest single: “ This is a jaunty back-porch breakup/depression song about feeling so bad you’re not sure what species you even belong to anymore. We left it off Goodbye Small Head because it was too good. It’s better than Jason Aldean. Better than the Barb...