The greatest rock and roll band in the world are back with a new single that almost slipped by us! Supersuckers have returned with "Maybe I'm Just Messin' With You" is the first single off the follow up to 2020's Play That Rock N' Roll, and if you love Supersuckers, you're going to love this. This isn't the rock lifers changing up their sound, but a continuation of everything we've loved about them since first hearing "Born With a Tail" way back in the 1900's. While most of their peers seem to be mellowing out at least a little bit, "Maybe I'm Just Messin' With You" is the noisiest they've been in years. It's rare that we can get excited about a new album from a band that's been around for almost forty years, but most bands aren't Supersuckers.
You can listen to "Maybe I'm Just Messin' With You" below. Liquor, Women, Drugs & Killing is due out later this year. For more on Supersuckers, check out the band's website.
San Francisco punks Tess & The Details are back with their first new music since 2023. "Take Me Alive" is a huge alt-rock song that pushes back the traditional constraints of punk rock. It's a melodic and catchy song that reminds me of the glory days of artists like Veruca Salt and The Donnas. It's an absolute anthem that begs to be screamed out on bigger stages. This isn't quite Tess & The Details swinging for playing stadiums, but they're certainly getting ready for larger venues than they have been playing. "Take Me Alive" is a straight up great rock song, and sometimes that's exactly what you need.
Guitarist/vocalist Tess Stevens says of her band's latest single:
“The song is about rejecting the stupidity we see online, unplugging ourselves from the things that cause us self doubt. It’s about telling the world to ‘take you alive’ as you truly are."
You can watch the video for "Take Me Alive" below. For more on Tess & The Details, check out the band's website.
Portland, OR's Glitterfox are the musical project of singer Solange Igoa (they/them) and guitarist (Andrea Walker (they/them), who were a couple for twelve years before recently splitting. Luckily, that hasn't affected their band, who have a new single out. "Wildfires" combines 80's synth-pop with modern indie pop, and maybe a little early 00's indie sleaze minus the sleaze. It's a bright and bubbly song that is going to force even the most curmudgeonly indie rocker want to dance. It's the type of song that should propel a band like Glitterfox to superstardom. It's a great little indie song that has huge, mainstream crossover potential, and could easily make the switch from small basement clubs to outdoor festival stages and large clubs/theaters. Get ready to jump on their bandwagon, and start rooting for them to become rightfully huge.
You can watch the video for "Wildfires" below. decoder is due out August 22 on Jealous Butcher Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Glitterfox, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below and include a September 10 show at The Rockwell in Somerville, MA.
6/20: Willamina, OR @ Wildwood Music Fest Revival 2025
6/23: Ashland, OR @ AFC In The Park
6/27: Etna, CA @ Trails End Music Festival 2025
7/1: London, United Kingdom @ Green Note
7/2: Milton Keynes, United Kingdom @ The Stables Stage 2
7/3: Oxted, United Kingdom @ United Reformed Church
7/4: Easton, United Kingdom @ Maverick Festival 2025
7/23: Boise, ID @ The Grove Plaza
7/24: Baker City, OR @ Churchill School
7/31: Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon 2025
9/2: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
9/3: Chicago, IL @ Schubas
9/4: Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
9/5: Detroit, MI @ The Magic Bag
9/6: Toronto, ON @ Longboat Hall
9/8: Metuchen, NJ @ Old Franklin Schoolhouse
9/9: Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right
9/10: Somerville, MA @ The Rockwell
9/11: Philadelphia, PA @ The Lounge at World Cafe Live
One thing I've been loving lately is that musicians aren't stuck working within rigid genres these days. You get artists picking and choosing from multiple styles of music to craft their sounds. One of my favorite recent discoveries is Mei Semones, who blends jazz and pop music along with indie rock and folk. Her new album Animaru is stellar, and when it was announced she was coming to Boston, I knew I wanted to check her out live.
Mei Semones went to Berklee College of Music, so it was fitting that her first headlining show in town was at The Red Room @ Cafe 939, a venue run by the school. The crowd typically seems to be Berklee students, which might be why the audience is always wonderfully attentive at this venue. For Mei Semones' show, they were nearly reverent, and with good reason. Semones is an incredibly captivating performer, and even with a full band, the show seemed intensely intimate as if she was playing solo. The songs off Animaru were the highlight, with the crowd being quite familiar with songs like "Dumb Feeling" and "Zarigani." Live, Semones' music leans a little more into the worlds of jazz and pop, and she completely nailed both genres expertly. It gives her this interesting mixture of sounding wildly fresh and original while also feeling familiar. If Saturday night was any indication, Semones won't be playing small clubs much longer.
John Roseboro opened the show solo. According to his website, he blends "... Latin influence, jazz, and folk." He was the perfect opener for Mei Semones, and I don't think I've seen someone play jazz quite as well solo with an acoustic guitar. He was an incredibly engaging performer with stage banter right up there with his fantastic playing and songs. As great as he was, the highlight was the end of his set when Mei Semones joined him for a couple of songs they have recorded together. Sometimes two people just mesh together perfectly, and that's the case with Roseboro and Semones.
Vancouver's Kimmortal is a queer Filipinx multi-disciplinary artist that you're going to want to jump on the bandwagon of ASAP. Their latest single, "I Just Wanna Know," is a wonderfully chilled out hip hop based track that still has a great intensity to it. It's jazzy with a chorus that leans into the world of R&B but stays hip hop based. It's reminding me of a mixture of Queen Latifah and Guru. It takes the conscious hip hop of the 90's and updates it to the current day by being influenced by the golden age without mimicking it. It seems like 2025 is starting to be the jumping off point for a new, forward thinking age of hip hop, and "I Just Wanna Know" is another perfect example of that.
You can watch the video for "I Just Wanna Know" below. sunniest of days is out now on Odd Doll Records. For more on Kimmortal, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
June 17 — Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Jazz Festival 2025 June 20 — Calgary, AB @ Sled Island Music and Arts Festival 2025 June 27 — Winnipeg, MB @ Osborne Village Fest June 29 — San Francisco, CA @ Pride Festival (afternoon) June 29 — Oakland, CA @ Soulovely Oakland (evening) July 2 — New York, NY @ Joe’s Pub (with Ellen Winter) July 4 — London, ON @ TD Sunfest 2025 (afternoon) July 4 — Hamilton, ON @ Mills Hardware (evening) (with Duckai & Sound of Separation) July 5 —Toronto, ON @ Venus Fest 2025 July 6 — London, ON @ TD Sunfest 2025 July 10 — Vancouver, BC @ Indian Summer Festival (with Vivek Shraya)
It's very rare for us to cover reworked versions of songs we've already covered, but most artists aren't Kim Gordon and most songs aren't as important as her new version of 2024's "BYE BYE." "BYE BYE 25!" keeps the hip hop/trap/noise sound of the original, but the lyrics have been changed to ones censored by the Trump administration. It's basically a list of words and phrases such as "gay," "commercial sex worker," "abortion," "diversity," "measles," "transgender," etc. It's not exactly a catchy song, but it's a vital reminder of the changes our government has undergone in just a few months. It's also exactly what we'd expect from an artist who has been so important for the past forty plus years.
Kim Gordon says of her latest single:
"(Producer and collaborator) Justin Raisen had this idea to redo ‘Bye Bye’ starting at the end of the song. When I was thinking of lyric ideas, it occurred to me to use words taken from a site that had all the words that Trump has essentially banned, meaning any grant or piece of a project or proposal for research that includes any of those words would be immediately disregarded or 'cancelled.' I guess Trump does believe in cancel culture, because he is literally trying to cancel culture."
You can watch the video for "BYE BYE 25" below. All proceeds of the song and shirt will be donated to reproductive rights nonprofit Noise for Now. For more on Kim Gordon, check out the artist's website.
One thing I love about seeing newer bands multiple times is watching their sound evolve. The first time I saw Lovina Falls live was their 2024 appearance at the Rock and Roll Rumble, where they showcased a more baroque pop sound. I've seen them a few times since then, and each time they've adopted a more rock based or dream pop sound. Friday night they played Deep Cuts for a release party for the excellent "Light and Low" single. I had to head out to Medford to see where their evolution is currently taking them.
Opening the show was Roser, a band I know from some local compilations but I don't believe I've formally covered before. They're a Lowell based band that plays a sound that combines the bounciness of pop punk with the haze of dream pop. At some points they were more one genre than the other, and others their sound was a combination of both. It was a set that was fun but with just a hint of darkness to the music to keep things interesting. Lowell bands seem to specialize in taking familiar sounds and twisting them in a unique way, and Roser does just that. Their performance was filled with songs that were both melodic and dissonant, which is kind of our thing here.
Up next were The Daylilies, a band that wins me over a little more each time I see them. Their set of rock based pop music was a perfect bridge between Roser and Lovina Falls, with songs that ranged from New Wave inspired pop songs that could have been from the 80's to some mid to late 90's power pop. Singer Laura England Klain (who pulled double duty with backing vocals for Lovina Falls) adds a level of theatricality to the songs that I simply can't resist. Plus, Ad Frank's guitar work is always stellar and adds a certain rock edge to their entire sound. They're near the top of my "I need to cover this band a lot more" list.
Closing out the show was Lovina Falls, who continued their move to a more alt-rock based sound. There was still plenty of the baroque pop sound that first drew me to Valerie Forgione's project, but a heavier version. Forgione is one of the most underrated frontpeople in Boston these days, and despite how fantastic her band is, you simply can't stop watching her. The band cycled through newer songs and some favorites from their 2023 album Calculating the Angle of Our Descent, with the just released "Light and Low" being a highlight. They closed the night with 2023's "Hologram," which truly showcased their evolving sound. On the album, it's a poppy version of early New Wave, and on Friday night it had changed to a song with roots more in the world of Britpop and the electronic music from Trainspotting. Typically they've been more of a chill band live, but they ended with a full on dance party. I'm already looking forward to seeing them next time.
I always like to close the week on a fun note, so this week we're bringing you Nate Smith and Lalah Hathaway's take on The Pointer Sisters' "Automatic." The Pointer Sisters were the soundtrack to countless childhood memories for me, and they don't seem to get a lot of love these days. Drummer/producer Nate Smith changes that with his reimagining of the 1984 hit song, which includes vocals from Lalah Hathaway. This cover is a much more chill and laid back version, that features some jazzy elements, along with some modern R&B and electronic parts. It's the kind of cover that stays true enough to the original while going off in a completely different direction. I could see many listeners not picking up on it being a cover until the chorus, or possibly not at all. But for those that grew up on The Pointer Sisters, you'll know almost immediately.
You can listen to Nate Smith and Lalah Hathway's version of "Automatic" below. For more on Nate Smith, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song and include an October 8 date at City Winery in Boston.
June 26: Richmond, VA @ Spacebomb June 27: Durham, NC @ Missy Lane's June 28: Durham, NC @ Missy Lane's June 30: Montreal, QC @ Montreal Jazz Festival September 26: Boulder, CO @ Chautauqua Auditorium September 27: Denver, CO @ Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom September 29: Los Angeles, CA @ The Lodge Room October 2: Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre October 3: Portland, OR @ The Get Down October 4: Oakland, CA @ Yoshi's October 5: Oakland, CA @ Yoshi's October 8: Boston, MA @ City Winery October 10: Washington D.C. @ The Hamilton Live October 11: Philadelphia, PA @ Perelman Theater October 12: New York, NY @ Sony Hall October 14: Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon October 16: Chicago, IL @ The Promontory October 17: Evanston, IL @ SPACE October 18: Nashville, TN @ The Basement East November 8: Brno, CZ @ Lucerna Music November 9: Prague, CZ @ Sono Center November 11: Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso - Tolhuis November 12: Berlin, DE @ Gretchen November 14: Paris, FR @ New Morning November 16: London, UK @ KOKO December 11: Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium December 12: Iowa City, IA @ Club Hancher December 13: Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
Laura Jane Grace has released a new single with her latest musical project (which also features her wife Paris Campbell Grace, Jacopo "Jack" Fokas, and Orestis Lagadinos) just in time for Pride. "Wearing Black" is a punk rock rager about wearing black to the Pride parade. It's an intense and joyous song about acceptance that is perfect to both pogo and dance to. It's not quite a pop punk song, but it is filled with plenty of pop hooks and it's as catchy as anything else Grace has ever released.
You can watch the NSFW video for "Wearing Black" below. Adventure Club is due out July 18 on Polyvinyl Record Co., and is available for pre-order here. For more on Laura Jane Grace in the Trauma Tropes, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below and include a June 27 show at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston opening for Murder By Death on their farewell tour.
JUNE 13 — Garwood, NJ — Crossroads * 14 — Albany, NY — Empire Live * 16 — South Burlington, VT — Higher Ground * 17 — Buffalo, NY — Electric City * 19 — Newport, KY — Southgate House ^ (SOLD OUT) 20 — Detroit, MI — St. Andrew's Hall ^ 21 — Toronto, ON — Danforth Music Hall ^ 22 — Montreal, QC — Le Studio TD ^ 23 — Woodstock, NY —Bearsville Theater ^ 25 — Norwalk CT — District Music Hall ^ 26 — Portland, ME — State Theatre ^ 27 — Boston, MA — Paradise Rock Club ^ (SOLD OUT) 28 — Brooklyn, NY — Warsaw ^ 29 — Asbury Park, NJ — Asbury Lanes ^
JULY 01 — Cleveland Heights, OH — Grog Shop ^ (SOLD OUT) 02 — Cleveland Heights, OH — Grog Shop ^ (SOLD OUT) 05 — Pelham, TN — The Caverns ^ (SOLD OUT) 09 —Millersville, PA — Phantom Power ^ 10 — Baltimore, MD — Union Craft Brewing ^ (SOLD OUT) 11 — Washington, DC — Black Cat ^ (SOLD OUT) 12 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer ^ 13 — Pittsburgh, PA — Mr. Smalls ^ (SOLD OUT) 15 — Grand Rapids, MI — The Pyramid Scheme ^ (SOLD OUT) 16 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall ^ 17 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall ^ (SOLD OUT) 18 — Madison, WI — The Sylvee ^ 19 — Minneapolis, MN — First Avenue ^ 20 — Maquoketa, IA — Codfish Hollow Barnstormers ^ (SOLD OUT)
AUGUST 01 — Peoria, IL — Scottish Rite Theatre > 02 — Omaha, NE — Slowdown > 03 — Fargo, ND — Sanctuary Events Center > 05 — Winnipeg, MB — The Park Theatre > 06 — Saskatoon, SK — Louis’ Pub > 08 — Edmonton, AB — The Starlite Room > 09 — Calgary, AB — Commonwealth Bar & Stage > 10 — Kelowna, BC — Revelry > 12 — Vancouver, BC — The Pearl > 13 — Victoria, BC — Sticky Wicket> 15 — Missoula, MT — Monk’s Bar > 16 — Boise, ID — Treefort Music Hall > 17 — Salt Lake City, UT — Soundwell > 19 — Casper, WY — Oil City Beer Company > 21 — Denver, CO — Gothic Theatre ^ 22 — Denver, CO — Gothic Theatre ^ 24 — Dallas, TX — Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ > 25 — Austin, TX — Antone’s > 26 — Houston, TX — House of Blues > 27 — Baton Rouge, LA — Chelsea’s Live > 29 — Tampa, FL — The Orpheum # 30 — Fort Lauderdale, FL — Revolution #
OCTOBER 24–26 — Gainesville, FL — THE FEST
DECEMBER 03 — Guadalajara, MX — Anexo Foro Independencia 04 — Mexico City, MX — Foro La Piedad 05 — San José, CR — Amón Solar 06 — Bogotá, CO — Boro 09 — Santiago, CL — Club Ambar 11 — Buenos Aires, AR — Uniclub 12 — Porto Alegre, BR — Bar Ocidente 13 — Curitiba, BR — Basement Cultural 14 — São Paulo, BR — Fabrique Club
* — w/ Rodeo Boys ^ — supporting Murder By Death > — w/ Trapper Schoepp, Team Nonexistent # — w/ Against All Authority, Catbite
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