If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Brian Karlsson One thing the 2020's have provided are wildly new takes on shoegaze, and no one has put their own spin on the genre like They are Gutting a Body of Water. The Philadelphia band's latest single, "rl stine," is an explosion of sound, sometimes simply loud and others completely disjointed. It sweeps you up in a wave of fuzzy noise and then crashes you down into its devastating power. If heavy shoegaze is a current genre, "rl stine" destroys that very concept with volume and abrasiveness. There's a lot of crossover fandom between shoegaze and hardcore, and TAGABOW are the rare band that lands on both sides of that equation. Band leader Doug Dulgarian says of his band's latest single: “There is a guy who I see every day near my house. I always buy him a pack of Newport hundreds, knowing full well that he will trade it for crack. I wonder sometimes if it’s the addict in me, enabling the addict in him, or if I just fully understand h...

Photo by Rosie Cohe What we've loved the most about the singles from Kendra Morris' upcoming album is how each one has been based in soul but adds in another element, making each song completely different from the others while still sounding cohesive. Her latest, "Back With Me," continues her soul experimentation, with this one adding in doo-wop. The song has this timeless quality, sounding both vintage and modern to the point that you can't quite place when it was made. As much as we've loved all the songs from Next , "Back With Me" might end up being our favorite. Kendra Morris has developed a truly special sound. Kendra Morris says of her latest single: "I love '50s and '60s doo-wop soul, and I feel like this was the song that wound up inspiring the entire record."  You can watch the video for "Back With Me" below. Next is due out September 19 on Colemine Records/Karma Chief Records, and is available for pre-order here ...

Artist : Tchotchke Album : Playin' Dumb Quick Thoughts : This was an absolute delight of a listen. Playin' Dumb is a lovely pastiche of 60s psych-pop / Elephant 6 indie pop that touched every nostalgia button I have and then some, and I truly loved the listen. In what feels like a time of perpetual darkness, this was such a bright surprise, so make time for it if only for your mental health. Songs of Note : "The Game," "Did You Hear?" "Kisses," "Poor Girl," "Skipping Around" Artist : Show Me Mary Album : All the Things You Are Quick Thoughts : Show Me Mary offers a fuzzy alt approach to the docket with some seriously excellent tunes. "Daisy Cutter" immediately went into repeat for me, but the whole album has a lot going for it in a way that really resonated with me. Don't skip it. Songs of Note : "Daisy Cutter," "Senescence," "Never Ends," "Lie to Me" Artist ...

Photo by Nate Packard Optic Sink are a Memphis based trio that includes Natalie Hoffman of NOTS. Their latest single, "Don't Look Down," is a mixture of post-punk and dance music that feels very DIY and unique. It doesn't sound like music being made in 2025. Instead, it has an extremely retro vibe to it, but without being able to quite put your finger on when exactly. It sorta has an 80's synth meets early 00's indie sleaze thing going on, with some odd and interesting psychedelic elements. "Don't Look Down" has a home recording sound to it with its minimalist approach, while still sounding lush and fully fleshed out. Optic Sink have crafted their own little slice of the indie rock world, and we are here for it. Natalie Hoffman says of her band's latest single: “I was there [Nashville] working on a TV show and ended up snowed in at a Candlewood Suites by the highway that overlooked the train tracks. To get out of the hotel room, I would go do...

Boston's favorite farm emo band released a new single last week, and as with the previous ones, "Moab" is pretty great. This new one seems to truly nail the genre of farm emo, which I believe I've said with the previous singles, but especially so with this one. It lands square in the middle of the two disparate genres, combining the twang of country with the earnestness of Midwest emo. There's also a surprising amount of pop sneaking around under the surface, and it's hard to tell if "Moab" is emo with twang or country with some emo/punk noise and aggression. It's one of the more unique sounds coming out of Boston these days, and I can honestly say no one in the city sounds quite like Tiberius. Brendan Wright (vocals/guitar) says of their band's latest single: “Moab was a song I wrote about trying to let go. At the time I was defining myself by expectations of a strained relationship. I was feeling pretty insane - like the kind of insane you ...

Photo by Angelina Castillo It turns out Be Your Own Pet's 2023 reunion album Mommy wasn't just a one off, because the Nashville band are back with new music! "What a B*tch" is their latest single, and it's everything we want from Be Your Own Pet. It's a raw and furious noisy punk track that's wrapped in pop, and vicious in its humor. The song sounds like it could have some from their early 00's heyday, with only Jemina Pearl Abegg's vocals having improved since then. Be Your Own Pet have been one of my favorite bands ever since Thurston Moore and Iggy Pop raved about them, and I could not be more excited that they appear to truly be back. Jemina Pearl Abegg says of her band's new single: "’What A B*tch’ is an anthem for anyone who has ever been labeled too much, too loud, too brash, just because they dare to be themselves.  My daughter got called a ‘bitch’ by a classmate for the first time this year and was devastated by it. I told her eve...

Photo by Patrick McCormack For her latest single, Boston's Emma Harner has recruited Vermont's Henry Jamison for a duet. "The Lake" is a folk-ish singer-songwriter track that builds from a quiet contemplation to an epic close. It's a relatively mellow and subdued song that hides its true power in how reserved it is. Harner's vocals are the true powerhouse of the song, with Jamison expertly backing her up. As laid back as "The Lake" is, it carries a certain tension that makes it anything but dull. This is the style of song that drags you in deeper and deeper with every note and lyric. Harner is quickly becoming one of the best voices in the Boston pop scene. Henry Jamison says of his new single with Emma Harner: “I was a fan of Emma’s and had heard the first verse and chorus of ‘The Lake’ in one of her videos, long before she wrote to me and asked if I would want to sing on it.  She was working with my buddy Doug, who produced a lot of my third record...

Ska isn't known for being a serious genre. The third wave has given the genre a reputation of being silly and goofy, but the latest from The Boy Detective might change that. "Good Year" has all of the trappings of the infamous third wave of ska. It's right on the border of being skacore. It's fast, with shout along choruses and gang vocals that kick in at any time. But, the Detroit band have crafted a song about looking inward and working on yourself, which is most likely a first for the genre. It's a fun song with multiple tempo changes and a serious, and important message. In fact, "Good Year" might be the most fun pro-mental health anthem we've heard. The Boy Detective are quickly becoming one of our favorite modern ska bands. Vocalist Ben Capaul says of the new single: “Just when you thought that the person in the mirror can’t change for the best, The Boy Detective gives you a template for how to turn things around and have a…pretty good year...

Photo by Oliver Sundqvist Ishaaq Aarkistra is a Stockholm based ensemble led by Swedish-Indian musician Ishaaq. Their latest single, "De Forest," is this amazing blend of what should be far too many sounds. The song mixes psychedelia with Western jazz and Indian raga into a completely new sound. It's quite dance friendly (despite being relatively chill), but in a completely organic, non-electronic way. Plus, the Pungi flute might be my new favorite instrument. The song will instantly grab your attention, especially if you're a fan of psychedelic music, world music, and/or jazz. Even if you're not typically a fan of any of those genres, "De Forest" could be your gateway to all three. Ishaaq says of the new single: “The sound of the underworld and the destructive forces of deforestation. Niccolo plays the snake charmer flute, the Pungi, on this hypnotic piece. I Iove that it became so deep sonically, like noises from another, darker realm. To me these nois...

Photo by Olivia St. Arnold Like many people, I have a complicated relationship with emo. It's one of those genres that I dislike the vast majority, but what I do like I absolutely adore. Bicycle Inn appear to be one of the bands that works for me, and could be my new musical obsession. The Boston band has a new single out, "Longsword (4th Place)." The song lands in this interesting space where it's both classic Midwest style emo and the more mainstream, TRL ready version. The song meanders through different points of leaning towards one or the other throughout, usually walking straight down the middle. And then there's the hardcore style screaming vocals that completely drew me in. "Longsword (4th Place)" also features some vocals from Ryan O'Rourke from Innerlove., and is one of the better punk songs of the year, nit just out of Boston but out of everything that we've covered. Bicycle Inn say of their latest single: “Longsword is about the strug...

Every time Superchunk releases an album, we all assume it can't be anywhere near as good as the last one. The band has been around since 1989, and surely they have to eventually start releasing mediocre albums, right? Last month saw the release of Songs in the Key of Yikes , their thirteenth album, and it's great. With a new album comes a tour, and when they came to the Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, I knew I couldn't miss it. What's amazing about Songs in the Key of Yikes  was how well these new songs stood up with the decades old classics. The album has only been out for a few weeks, but "Is It Making You Feel Something?" and "Everybody Dies" got just as favorable reaction as classics. What's truly impressive about Superchunk's albums is how a song like 2018's "What a Time to Be Alive" has become as much as a favorite as 1994's "Driveway to Driveway." Can that truly be said of any of our other 90's h...

The latest from Chainlacing is both beautiful and haunting, which is kind of why we love them so much. The New Hampshire/Boston band put out "Nisene" this week, a track that is almost painful in how quiet it is. It's one of those sparse yet lush songs that demands listeners pay attention to it by being so quiet. The more attention you pay to "Nisene," the better the song gets. Chainlacing aren't a background music band, and this single shows exactly why. As dark as the song may be, it's also oddly uplifting. Buckle up for this one. It might not be loud and raucous, but it's guaranteed to affect you. You can watch the video for "Nisene" below. The song is currently available via Bandcamp . For more on Chainlacing, check out the band's website . They'll be playing Moon Base One on September 13 as part of the Moon Over Salem festival.

Photo by Robert Georgeff For their upcoming album, Canada's Great Lake Swimmers met up in the Ganaraska Forest and tracked it in three days. The latest single from the album, "Youth Not Wasted," is a gorgeous and delicate song that combines folk pop and progressive folk into one sound. It's a sparse and quiet song that is compelling because of how quiet and sparse it is. It's also quite lush considering how bare the song is. Despite the whole recorded in the woods in three days aspect, "Youth Not Wasted" sounds much more modern than you might expect. Great Lake Swimmers have been doing this for over twenty years now, and they continue to blow listeners away with their sound. Founder Tony Dekker says of the band's latest single: " It suggests that every part of the adventure of youth does in fact matter, and constructs our identities in the present day. It considers the 'caught light' of an old photograph, books left unread, and the point...

The more singles I hear from Weakened Friends' upcoming album, the more convinced I am that they've levelled up and are about to release a monster album. The Maine band's latest single, "Nosebleed," is everything we've loved about them for years now. It's heavily influenced in 90's mid to late 90's alt-rock with sprinklings of modern pop and vintage emo. The only difference is that this latest single sounds like Weakened Friends decided to write a hit song and nailed it. "Nosebleed" is seriously the kind of song that is indie rock enough for even the snobbiest of purists, but has enough pop appeal that the most mainstream of music fans will adore it if it breaks into their algorithm.  You can watch the video for "Nosebleed" below. Feels Like Hell is due out October 10 on Don Giovanni Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Weakened Friends, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the v...