If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Greg Norton Minneapolis punk supergroup Ultrabomb (consisting of Husker Du's Greg Norton, Derek O'Brien of Social Distortion and Agent Orange, and Soul Asylum's Ryan Smith) has a new decidedly non-punk single out. "Look Forward in Anger" fits more into the subgenres of power pop and bubblegrunge. More than their previous bands, it's reminding me of a harder edged Big Star. It's filled with catchy harmonies and giant guitars, and sounds more like the 1970's than the 2020's. It's unbelievably bouncy, and comes across more upbeat than the subject matter. Of course, we could always use some positivity in 2026, so maybe the latest from UltraBomb is exactly the kind of punk we need right now. Greg Norton (bass and vocals) says of his band's latest single: “‘Look Forward In Anger’ is a commentary on how partisan politics push to divide us, when we should all be coming together. Love over BS, any day.” You can listen to "Look Forward ...

Photo by Jenna Connolly It's kind of a cliche of mine to say that an artist makes pop music that will appeal to indie rock snobs, but that has never resonated as strong as it does it Kerrin Connolly. The Boston based musician has a new single out that is unquestionably pop, but has a strong indie rock sensibility to it. "Flowers Pt. 1" is a truly great song. It starts off in the singer-songwriter realm before the pop hooks and melodies kick in. It might be the use of guitars that helps the song appeal to fans more interested in rock based music, plus Connolly has an unmistakable blues side to their vocals. As music continues to move away from strict genres, "Flowers Pt. 1" is going to suck in true music fans, regardless of what genre they typically lean towards.  Kerrin Connolly says of their latest single: "There’s also something to be said about just not believing that you’ve done something good, so when people compliment you on it, you can only perceive ...

Boston's Devil Love have a new single out that coincides with tomorrow's holiday. "Tell Me You Love Me" is a glammed up power pop single with roots in the 1970's side of both of those genres. It's an upbeat and swanky track that exudes joy (despite the subject matter) and melody. It's one of the grooviest rock songs we've heard so far this year. It sounds like a hybrid of T. Rex and Big Star, with some country swagger and Boston indie rock sensibilities. The guitar solo captures the desperation of the song perfectly, and "Tell Me You Love Me" is a stomp-worthy banger. This is one sure to get stuck in your head for the rest of the weekend, but when a song is as great as the latest from Devil Love, you certainly won't mind. You can listen to "Tell Me You Love Me" below. The single is out now on The Sound Cove. For more on Devil Love, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . They'll be playing at The Village Social Club ...

Photo by John Soa It's been a couple of years since we last heard from American Ocelot, but now the Boston band is back with a pair of new singles. "Dropped" and "Invisible Lines" are the kind of indie rock meets pop that we tend to go crazy for here at If It's Too Loud... The songs have strong roots in the 90's Boston alt-rock scene back when it was almost the next Seattle. It's that post-grunge/bubblegrunge sound where the guitars are still distorted and loud, but pop is starting to weasel its way in (not that we ever would have admitted that back then). American Ocelot still keep some of the indie rock grit on "Dropped" and "Invisible Lines," and you know those bands you bought a 7" from and then never heard again, but still love? That's what these songs sound like. Joanie Lynch (vocals, keyboard, and rhythm guitar) says of her band: “Band is family. I really love playing with people who are happy playing together! I a...

Photo by Alison Wonderland We're only two weeks away from Heavenly's first album in thirty years, and the UK legends have a new single for us to check out. "Scene Stealing" will remind you of why you always loved Heavenly, or make you an instant fan. It's a wonderfully twee song that's upbeat sounding and cheery. It's almost all pure harmonies and melodies, but there's this interesting edge just below the surface to keep the song from being too sugary. If you've always loved bands like The Magnetic Fields or Belle & Sebastian, "Scene Stealing" is going to make you dive headfirst into Heavenly's catalog while we wait for Highway to Heavenly. It's honestly like someone froze Heavenly in the 90's and dethawed them just when we need them the most. Rob Pursey says of his band's new single and video: "It looks innocent to start with, but it gets dark. Like a typical Heavenly song! ‘Scene Stealing’ is about YouTubers, so...

Last Friday, SkyTigers released their excellent new album Injustice for All. Wednesday night saw their album release show at Deep Cuts. Playing with them were two other bands I never would have expected to see play together, but it ended up working perfectly: Boston hardcore legends Tree and New Hampshire's favorite pop punks Hell Beach. Opening the show was Hell Beach. This was my first time seeing their new line up, without Megan Simon (Megan from Work) on keytar and vocalist Jordan Hill focusing solely on vocals. This new line up was every bit as killer as the previous one, and has an ever harder edge without keys. That being said, the songs are as catchy as ever, with fans right at the front of the stage shouting out to every word. As expected, Hell Beach were the most fun band on Wednesday night, and the extra edge to the songs ended up being unexpectedly welcome. They closed out the show with my personal favorite "Poison Mind," and I challenge anyone to find a punk ...

Hailing from Austin, Touch Girl Apple Blossom are getting ready to release their debut album, and from the first single alone, this could be one of our favorite releases of the year. "The Springtime Reminds Me Of..." is not only as sunshiny as the title suggests, but it's a wonderfully jangly single. The press release compares it to bands like Velocity Girl, The Feelies, and Juliana Hatfield, so you know we're going to be on board. It's just the right amount of quirky and twee, and fits right into the sounds like a lost 90's single sound that we can never get enough of. Besides the title, "The Springtime Reminds Me Of..." is the perfect sound for those of us who are desperately waiting for winter to be over, even though we still have about two more months. You can watch the video for "The Springtime Reminds Me Of..." below. Graceful is due out May 15 on K Records, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp . For more on Touch Girl Apple Blo...

Photo by Backwoodz Studioz For their latest collaborative single, ELUCID and Sebb Bash have released "Make Me Wise," a haunting and tense new single. What makes the song stand out is the twinkling sample used, which could be beautiful and charming other artists' hands, but not with this pairing. Plus, ELUCID's understated flow forces you to focus on the song even more, getting drawn deeper and deeper inside. I can't say that "Make Me Wise" is horrorcore, but if this was included in a scary movie it would sound a little too on the nose. ELUCID continues to be one of the most unique voices in modern hip hop, and his pairing with Sebb Bash is perfection. You can listen to "Make Me Wise" below. I Guess U Had to Be There is due out March 13 on Backwoodz Studioz, and is available for pre-order here. For more on ELUCID, check out the artist on Instagram . Upcoming tour dates with Armand Hammer are below the song and include a September 23 show at Arts...

Photo by Alec Pugliese For their upcoming album, Washington DC's Ekko Astral get political... in a way that only they can. According to the press release, the beltway is burning , "... plays out like a vignette, with Ekko Astral beckoning listeners into their fictionalized version of The Beltway (the area within I-495), in which Adam Sandler is a god-president and the DMV has become a demilitarized zone, a wasteland run by butt rockers and Soundcloud rappers." The first single, "lil xan goes to washington," is a burst of post-punk chaos with an almost whimsical sound. I think this would fit into the "laugh so you don't scream" side of things, and the song is one of the most fun and party ready political anthems we've heard in the past year. It's weird calling this song fun, but it could be exactly what you need right now. The aggression does come bursting out in a blast of noise towards the end, giving the song an LCD Soundsystem meets Soni...

Photo by Mitch LaGrow Our favorite "soul-jazz-funk organ trio" is back with a brand new single. Parlor Greens just released "Drop Top," and it's an ultra chilled out slice of those three genres in one. The organ is a little extra prevalent in this new single, although all three musicians (Adam Scone, Jimmy James, and Tim Carman) are given time to shine. If you're unfamiliar with Parlor Greens, you may be wondering how engaging can an instrumental song with only guitar, drums, and organ be, which is fair. But that's the true magic of this trio. They don't reinvent the sound and style of jazz, soul, or funk. They've simply perfected it. You can listen to "Drop Top" below. Emeralds is due out March 27 on Colemine Records, and is available to pre-order here . For more on Parlor Greens, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. Mar. 18 - Santa Cruz, CA - Moe's Alley Mar. 19 - Sacramento, CA - Torch Club...

Photo by Jackie Freeman Vermont's Robber Robber might just be the future of post-punk. The quartet's latest single, "Watch for Infection," is an oddly slinky and fully intense song. There are elements of Sonic Youth's No Wave sound, electronic music, indie rock, and punk throughout the song. Musically, the track is foreboding, and you spend the entire song waiting for it to explode. Nina Cates' vocals add a certain sense of beauty and almost a pop sheen to the song. Without being loud or aggressive, "Watch for Infection" is an intense track. Long before the vocals kick in, you're going to be mesmerized by the hypnotic qualities of the song. If you're looking for a burst of positivity and joy, this isn't the right song for you, but that's kind of why we love Robber Robber. Nina Cates says of her band's latest single: “Real emotions and moments inspired the feelings of ‘Watch for Infection,’ but the story is made up. Internal dialog...

Photo by Eleanor Petry Chinese American Bear is the duo of Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten. They just released a new single that is a pure delight. "All the People (所有人) ," is a whimsical indie pop song sure to make even the grumpiest indie music snob smile. The song captures pure joy in musical form, and it's just a fun song. It's also cleverly put together, which is the part that is most likely going to appease the snobs. I normally bristle at music that is labelled "pop" or "uplifting," but Chinese American Bear have crafted something that is quite simply magic with their latest single. At a time when we could all use some extra positivity in the world, "All the People  (所有人) " is here for us. Bryce Barsten says of his band's latest single: "All The People (所有人) is probably my favorite song on the album.  It’s so fun, light, cool, and a little weird. It’s a song for everyone. All the people. It has some fantasy vibes, musically an...

Photo by Kat Bean Philadelphia's Poison Ruin have a new single out, and this one is huge. "Eidolon" is a monster of a song that is both punk and metal. The song might lean a little more into punk than metal, but it's still perfect for headbanging. It's a four minute track that barrels over and through the listener by pure force. Plus, the song has some of the best shredding out there today. It's a mixture of thrash and doom that's going to make you enjoy the song whether you want to or not. "Eidolon" is one of the most exciting songs I've heard in the punk/metal genre for quite some time, and if songs about bleak medieval imagery is your thing, welcome to the Poison Ruin fanclub. Lyricist/guitarist Mac Kennedy says of his band's latest single: “‘Eidolon’ is about being stuck in a broken reality, a cog in a fate-machine doomed to play out the same cursed loop until it fully breaks down. The ones who had the power to affect change have aban...

Photo by Calli Westra Brooklyn's Hiding Places are originally from North Carolina, and that sound is all over their latest single. "Waiting" has a strong alt-country meets dark indie rock sound. The song is as hypnotic as it is heartbreaking. Even if you're not paying attention to the lyrics, the vibe of the song is overwhelmingly dark and somber. There's plenty of country twang and indie rock fuzz throughout the song, with the music carrying the weight of the song as much as vocalist/guitarist Nicholas Byrne's voice does. The song is stunning, both in its beauty and mood. I feel like I've been sitting on "Waiting" for a while now until I could fully wrap my head around it. Hiding Places has something truly special here. Nicholas Byrne says of his band's latest single: "Hiding Places’ first bassist, Anthony Cozzarelli, left the band in July of 2022. I wrote the chorus the day before Anthony left the band. I recalled the slow death of my ...