If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Katja Kahana The Hobknobs are a hard band to describe. Their latest single, "Easier Listening," could most likely be referred to as twee, although it feels a little to rock based for that. It's a stripped down and upbeat track that is surprisingly dance friendly considering how stripped down and simple the song is. It sounds like a mixture of Belle & Sebastian, Beat Happening, and The Moldy Peaches. There's also something pleasantly nostalgic about "Easier Listening," and something about The Hobknobs' latest reminds me of warmer weather. Arie van Vliet says of his band's latest single: “Easier Listening is about people who consciously choose to be less intelligent, in order to be able to understand so much more." You can listen to "Easier Listening" below. Helmets Off is due out June 26 on 12XU, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The Hobknobs, check out the band's website . 

Photo by Kristin Sollecito Montreal art punk band La Sé curit é  have a new single out, and you're going to end up loving it. "Deny" is a post punk party waiting to happen. It's high energy, and is as electronic as it is punk or rock. This is a song that's going to demand dancing from the listener, the more awkward the better. Despite how electronic and dance friendly that "Deny" is, there is still a cloud of noise hovering over the entire song. The song has an interesting near throwback quality to the 80's when computers were the future and bands started experimenting with computerized noises in their songs to sound more modern. La S é curit é  have very quickly become a favorite of ours, and we can't wait for their new album. The band says of their new single: “ Initially written in French and translated to English, the song deals with dysfunctional relationships and getting rid of burdens in your life. Standing up for yourself. This doesn...

Photo by Jordanne Chant Sydney based post punk quartet Loose Fit have a new single out that is delightfully strange. "Cracked Whip" is a disjointed and dissonant track, that is oddly hypnotic. There's a heavy groove throughout the song that holds you in while everything else is chaos surrounding it. The song reminds me of early Yeah Yeah Yeahs meets Be Your Own Pet. What's really interesting about "Cracked Whip" is that as noisy as it is, it's not aggressive or in your face. It's not so much about provoking a reaction as it is Loose Fit trying to find their people. If one of those people is you, you're going to become obsessed with this band after hearing their latest. You can listen to "Cracked Whip" below. Bittersweet Excess is due out May 22 on Dinosaur City, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Loose Fit, check out the band on Instagram .

Hip hop legends DJ Premier and The Alchemist have teamed up for a new single. "For the Gig" is produced by the Alchemist and features the two legends showing you what true hip hop is. The song reminds me of the early to mid 90's, just as hip hop was starting to truly break through to the mainstream but before it became watered down into pop. The song is both a celebratory jam and has a sense of menace that goes throughout the entire track. If you have always loved the later period of the golden age of hip hop, you're going to love "For the Gig." Of course, if you're a true fan of classic rap, all you need to hear is DJ Premier and The Alchemist, and you're already on board. You can watch the video for "For the Gig" below. For more on DJ Premier, check out the artist on Instagram . The Alchemist can be found on Instagram here .

Photo by Kate LaMendola If you love catchy alt-rock, you're going to love the latest from Girl Tones. The sister duo released "Stubborn Mouth" last week, and we keep becoming more and more enamored with the song with each listen. The song has a 1960's girl group sound with the harmonies, while musically it sounds like a combination of Blue and Green album era Weezer. To say "Stubborn Mouth" is infectious is the understatement of the year. There's also a vibe similar to when the Ramones covered classic hits in the 80's. From what I described, it could sound like Girl Tones have a throwback style single here, but it ends up feeling completely modern. Girl Tones say of their latest single: “ This song is a vulnerable reflection on being headstrong and how it can ultimately deteriorate your own well-being and others around you.” You can watch the video for "Stubborn Mouth" below. The single is out now on Parallel Vision and Big Loud Rock. For m...

Salem, MA noise rockers The Freqs are back with a new single off their upcoming album, and you're going to want to buckle up for this one. "Chainsawman" is a heavy and punishing rocker. What's great about the song, and about The Freqs' sound in general, is that as loud and discordant as "Chainsawman" is, it comes right up to the edge of being mainstream and accessible. It's along the lines of some of Nirvana's noisiest tracks, making this the rare song that noise rock snobs and fans of somewhat mainstream abrasive rock music happy. It can be extreme, but in a way that's going to draw more people in than it repels. Needless to say, we're obviously fans of this one. Seth of The Freqs says of his band's latest single: "Chainsawman’s lyrics serve as a reflection on  the  emotional unavailability between fathers and sons. Seth was messing around on a Bass VI (first time on a  Freqs  track) and this song immediately spilled out. It’s b...

2026 is a rough year for festivals with many of our favorites either taking the year off or calling it a day after 2025. Nice, a Fest took 2025 off, which had us a little worried, but they are back for 2026 and returning to Davis Square! This year's edition will run from July 24-26 and take place at The Rockwell, Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, and Dragons Lair. Of course, the important thing is the music, and Nice, a Fest once again have an amazing all local line up with many, many of our favorites. It will feature Battlemode, Class President, Coral Moons, Downtown Boys, Evan Greer, Gymshorts, JVK, Landowner, Mal Devisa, Meg Elsier, Perennial, Pinklids, Rick Rude, and a ton more! This is always one of my favorite musical weekends of the year, and attending is strongly recommended! Nice, a Fest takes place in Davis Square, Somerville from July 24-26. You can get more information and tickets here .

Threat Level Burgundy are one of those bands I'm familiar with, but I don't know if I've ever actually heard before. The Boston ska-punk band always seem to be playing shows I want to go to, but I've never quite made it. After hearing their latest single, I'll have to make more of an effort. "Times Before" is a fantastic example of the ska-punk genre. If you went through a ska phase in the 90's, you're going to love this new single. It has that bratty 90's pop punk thing going on, but with a little harder edge than you would normally get from that sound. And then there's the horns, which obviously add to the upbeat sound and make everything more fun. That's truly what this style of music is about, and Threat Level Burgundy have completely nailed that. You can watch the video for "Times Before" below. Oh, Nice is due out May 29, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp . For more on Threat Level Burgundy, check out the band o...

It's been roughly a year since we last heard from Vivid Bloom, but the Boston shoegaze band is back with a new single. "In Strange Places" is pure shoegaze perfection. There are a lot of bands out there doing heavy shoegaze, and others doing a more classical, traditional style. "In Strange Places" does both. It's in the vein of our longtime favorite artists like My Bloody Valentine, but with more than a dose of heaviness to keep things great. Plus, the song adds in a lot more noise and distortion than you typically hear in any form of the genre. Along with the wall of noise and fuzz, Vivid Bloom add guitars that have some tunings and squalls more akin to Sonic Youth than Slowdive. "In Strange Places" shows one of our favorite local bands at their finest. You can listen to "In Strange Places" below. The song is available for download via Bandcamp . For more on Vivid Bloom, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . In Strange Places b...

Photo courtesy of Outer World Richmond, VA's Outer World are set to play Providence Popfest this weekend, and just put out a new single this week. "La Dimora" is rooted in classic 60's spy movie themes and surf rock, but with a New Wave twist. The very obvious comparison would be The B-52's, but somehow more 60's and more modern than that. As expected with those comparisons, "La Dimora" is ridiculously fun and groovy. Outer World have taken such classic sounds and moved them into the modern age while keeping the original vibe intact. The only complaint I have is that I now wish I had Sunday night free to head down to Providence to see them. You can watch the video for "La Dimora" below. The single is out now via Courtesy Desk and K Records, and is available at Bandcamp . For more on Outer World, check out the band on Instagram . Upcoming live dates are below the video. 5/1 Bethlehem, PA: TBD (ClubRealWorld Presents) 5/2 Brooklyn, NY: Love, ...

Photo by John Carluccio El Paso, TX alt-rock legends Sparta have a new single out, and this is a great one. "Everything You Say" is exactly as epic as you expect a song from Sparta to be. The song starts out quite melodic and beautiful, with a pop element, and is bordering on being dance friendly. Then the chorus kicks in, and "Everything You Say" becomes a monster of a song begging to be screamed along to at festivals. The song ends up being noisier than expected while still keeping the melodies intact. And it's still somewhat dance friendly the entire way through. Sparta have always been a great rock band, and they've stealthily gotten even better over the years. Frontman Jim Ward says of his band's new single: “ The music for this was brought in by Matt [Miller] to the earliest writing sessions at my house in El Paso, tweaked in a hotel room in Oklahoma City and played at a soundcheck that night.  It is one of those songs that takes shape early and no...

Photo by Lola Lankford Oakland native Satya has a new single out, and it's simply a must listen for all fans of either Americana or soul. She's released a cover of Lucinda Williams' excellent "Fruits of My Labor." While this version is quite faithful to the original, Satya's cover is a little more stripped back and soulful. It's warmer than the original, and is infused with a sense of nostalgia that can't possibly be missed. This version of "Fruits of My Labor" is a perfect summer song, and just feels Southern (even though Satya is from California). This is the type of cover that's going to make you want to go back and listen to Lucinda Williams' catalog and dive straight into Satya's, as well. Satya says of her cover of "Fruits of My Labor": “The first time I heard ‘Fruits of My Labor,’ I was in a dive bar in New Orleans. It was so loud in the bar, and my friend was talking to me, but the second the song came on, it fel...

Photo by Chelsea Moosekian Cinder Well, aka multi-instrumentalist Amelia Baker, returns with a powerful new single. "While the Womb Screams Silently" is a stripped down and bare single. Baker's vocals are the main focus, while string instruments hold the song down musically. Haunting is a term that gets thrown around in the world of music quite a bit, but "While the Womb Screams Silently" is the definition of that description. Folk is most likely the genre that best fits this song, but that's mostly because of the acoustic instruments being used. The song certainly isn't traditional folk, but Cinder Well has never exactly fit into any specific genre. Amelia Baker says of her latest single: "This song is inspired by the movie "Portrait of A Lady On Fire" from director Céline Sciamma. In the film, a woman is arranged to be wed, and because of her intense resistance to the situation, a painter is commissioned to secretly paint her wedding por...

Photo by Mark Stern If you ever went through a ska-punk phase, you probably know and love Big D and the Kids Table. The Boston band has a new single out that is everything you ever loved about them. "Right Now" is an upbeat and melodic track that's just about as chill as anything can be and still be ska-punk. If anything, the song feels like a grown up version of Big D and the Kids Table. This specific genre isn't exactly known for maturing, but this song feels like a natural progression from a band you loved in high school and college and can still love while having a full time job and responsibilities. Bonus that you can still skank and mosh to it. Frontman David McWane says of his band's latest single: “RIGHT NOW is about launching your positive self NOW.  We haven’t experienced a positive American year in a long-long time. We won’t be able to keep living so tense. It’s time to recognize you are alive and that that experience isn’t long. It’s time to make your ...