If It's Too Loud...

Boston darkwave duo Ex-Hyena are back with a new single. "Dark Lights" is a little more restrained than we're used to from the band, but still totally dance worthy. It's a complete vibe of a song, with keys straight from the 80's, and a danceability that's more than a little stealthy. If dark, vintage style dance music is your thing, this one is going to be a lot of fun. (Of course, with this genre, fun is quite relative...) "Dark Lights" has the darkness of Depeche Mode mixed with the groove of Pet Shop Boys, and if that sounds great to you, you're going to adore this one.  You can watch the video for "Dark Lights" below. The EP for "Dark Lights" is out now on Re:Mission Entertainment, and is available via Bandcamp . For more on Ex-Hyena, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . They'll be playing an absolutely stacked bill at Ralph's Rock Diner in Worcester with Proles, Lipsmear, and Gossip Collar.

Artwork by J. Kaliontzis After the 2024 election, Boston music scene veteran Rick Berlin sent out an email to friends and colleagues with the subject line "When it's dark, make art." That email inspired the latest single from TELL, "Things to Do When It's Dark." The song is a pleading alt-rocker that's as pained as it is fiery. It's both noisy and melodic, and somehow still contains a mostly positive message. It's a highly political song that leaves zero question which side TELL stand on. It's tough to make a song this angry and righteous and still be positive. At a time like now when every day life feels extra pointless, "Things to Do When It's Dark" reminds us of the importance of art as resistance.  Vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist David Wildman says of the band's new single: “I think we’ve managed to cover a serious, highly emotional subject with a touch of humor and humanity. I can only hope it continues to put pres...

Providence artists NOVA ONE have a new single out off of their highly anticipated new album due out next week. "i can't remember your face" is a dreamy new single that showcases the band's indie rock/pop meets 60's girl group sound. It's a quiet track that's still going to inspire you to dance, or at least move a little in your seat. The true hook of the song is the distorted guitar that makes the song sound like a bizarro classic from the 60's. The entire song feels like it's swirling around you and creates a dreamlike state for its entire length. NOVA ONE might be the most consistently great artist in the New England music scene. As much as their sound has evolved over the years, you generally know what you're going to get, and it's always fantastic.  You can watch the video for "i can't remember your face" below. how to kiss is due out March 6 on Community Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more ...

Photo by Snow Martin The Kitchenettes are a San Francisco indie band comprised of members of The Umbrellas, Telephone Numbers, and The Snogs. They're set to release a new 7" next month, and we can preview the first song from it. "Sunday Best" is a warm and cheery song that combines some of the indie twee of the 90's with classic girl group harmonies. It has that hanging out on the porch and playing music with your friends vibe of folk without being folk. It's the kind of song sure to warm the hearts of even the most cynical indie rock fans, myself included. "Sunday Best" has that feeling of summer drives, where you don't have any solid plans, and gives the kind of warmth we could all use in the northeast as we get obliterated by yet another snow storm. You can listen to "Sunday Best" below. The 7" is due out on March 27 on Slumberland, Galaxy Train, and Meritorio, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp .  Sunday Best by the ki...

I'm going to age myself here, but the first (and last) time I saw Tracy Bonham live was at the album release show for The Burdens of Being Upright way back in 1996. It was at The Middle East, and you could get a free ticket if you purchased the CD at Newbury Comics. I'm not sure why I never saw her again after that show, but I've been on a bit of a Tracy Bonham kick lately. The Burdens of Being Upright might be the most underappreciated songs of that era. We all know and remember the big megahit "Mother Mother," but "Navy Bean," "Tell It to the Sky," "Kisses," and "The One" are all far better than you remember. Once I saw that she was starting a residency at The Burren to mark the album's thirtieth anniversary, I immediately acquired a ticket to the February show. Sunday night's show was moved an hour earlier due to the huge snow storm still happening, but instead of weighing on everyone like a cloud, the impending s...

Photo by Eli Chavez Moondough is southern California based singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ken Raymundo. His latest single, "Intrusive Thoughts," is a laid back slice of funk and soul. As much as we love those genres, a lot of songs in that style tend to sound somewhat the same. That's not the case with "Intrusive Thoughts." As mellow as the song is, it's incredibly fun and energetic. When we call a soul song timeless, it tends to be because it's retro and sounds like the style from the 60's and/or 70's. This song is timeless because it borrows from so many time periods that it's nearly impossible to place. It might sound like it's mostly from the 70's or 80's, but I would never think "Intrusive Thoughts" was recorded in those decades. Moondough has injected his latest single with a sense of fun and playfulness, and his vocals are only matched by the intensity of the keys. This is a fun and great song, and if you...

Photo by Jen Squires Abigail Lapell's albums tend to have a theme, but her upcoming album might have the most obvious one so far. Recorded while she was pregnant, the nine songs on Shadow Child represent each month of a pregnancy. The first single, "Hazel," is the second song on the album and features additional vocals from Jill Barber. It's an absolute stunning song, with gentle guitar and vocals. It's a stripped down and simple folk song that, according to the press release, "... is a gentle love letter to an unborn or future child, or one that may never be." Lapell and Barber's vocals are the true focus of the song, and are absolutely lovely with a sense of hopefulness. We've been fully on board with Abigail Lapell for a while now, and "Hazel" continues her streak of instantly engaging folk songs. Abigail Lapell says the video for her latest single was created "...  using old super 8 footage I filmed as a teenager and recently r...

Photo by Isaac Brown Ghanian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu is back with a brand new single. "STAMPEDE" is everything that's great about Owusu's music. It's energetic dance music with roots in hip hop and punk. It's the kind of dance track that's still going to be beloved by rock fans, and, like everything he releases, "STAMPEDE" is a party from start to finish. Of course, that's musically. Lyrically, the song expresses Owusu's frustrations with the world. But, sometimes it's best to work out your emotions through dance, and "STAMPEDE" is the perfect way to do that. This is modern dance music fused with synth-punk and hip hop. Genesis Owusu says of his latest single: "Left side to the right side, front side to the back. We’re all in the shit together, my loves. Docile and languid for what? Shake the fucking ground. Be heeded and not herded. Scream to make the world a better place."  You can watch the video for ...

Massachusetts based punk band PINKLIDS are back with new music. "EYE-CATCHING SILVER" is a retro-futurist freakout clocking in at under two minutes. It's noisy and disjointed, with a foreboding guitar riff throughout. The song sounds like New Wave gone wrong, with electronic elements desperately trying to get a party started. It's a mixture of bands like Gang of Four and DEVO with the noise and chaos of Sonic Youth. "EYE-CATCHING SILVER" doesn't sound like anything from 2026, but it doesn't sound like it's from a specific period of time, either. The song sounds and feels out of time. PINKLIDS have seemed to explode in the past year, and this song shows exactly why. PINKLIDS say of their latest single: "EYE-CATCHING SILVER taps into an increasingly familiar modern tension: the urge to project desire, control, and fulfillment onto something imagined rather than real. Through its retro-futurist lens, the song plays with artificial connection, i...

Photo by Yulissa Benetez The latest from Glixen shows the Phoenix heavy shoegaze band moving in a new direction. "unwind" doesn't have the harder side of the genre that we typically associate with Glixen. Instead, it's a mellow and moody single, leaning into the more pop side of shoegaze. There is still a wall of noise and feedback throughout the song, and the guitar solo is just squalls of noise, but as far as this style of music gets, this is relatively poppy. There's also a laid back, almost trip hop element to the song. It's great to see such a new band play with their sound this much. Glixen have quickly become a favorite of ours, and "unwind" is a welcome new sound for the band. Aislinn Ritchie (vocals/guitar) says of the band's latest single: “‘Unwind’ is about that feeling of relief when someone comes back to you after they’ve left. It’s human nature to crave that push and pull—a drug weaned off. Blindingly hard to say no, we succumb to w...