If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Keegan Burckhard Avery Friedman was one of my favorite musical discoveries of 2025, and now the Brooklyn artist is back with a new single. "You Move" is more of what we loved from last year's New Thing. It's a combination of folk, bedroom pop, and indie rock. This latest single seems to veer a little more away from the folk side of things and more into pop, although it does shift more towards the rock side of things as it goes on. "You Move" is kind of a quiet epic, with an intensity that contrasts how laid back the song is. It's a beautiful song that feels more summer than fall, but we're still going to enjoy it this month. Avery Friedman says of her latest single: “'You Move' is about savoring the unexpected fruits that reveal themselves amid times of uprootedness. It is a song about putting trust in the glimmer of new love, and carefully sowing the seeds for it to sustain. Both thematically and sonically, it’s about searching, sur...

Philadelphia's Soraia are one of our favorite current garage rock bands, and they've just released a cover of The Sonics' garage rock classic "The Witch." The cover is heavier/more punk and less groovy than the original, but otherwise stays quite faithful. If you're familiar with The Sonics' version, it will be instantly recognizable. This is a fun cover song that changes things up just enough to keep things interesting, and Soraia are the perfect band to take on "The Witch." The guitar solo on the cover is fiery, and will win over any garage rock fans, old and new. Frontwoman ZouZou Mansour says of her band's new single: “‘Have Love Will Travel’ was a set list staple from 2011 through 2020. ‘The Witch’ originally replaced ‘Have Love’ in our live shows, but audiences responded to it so well that we decided to record our more horroresque version for release. Every time we play it, that initial scream kicks both the band’s and the audience’s ad...

Photo by Joan Hathaway Boston indie post-punk trio Cold Expectations have a new single out, and you're gonna wanna pay attention. "Waiting for the Pills to Take Effect" is an energetic track that's heavy on some of the best synths we've heard in a while. It's fun, with just the slightest hint of darkness. Also, despite the post-punk genre, the song has a heavy dose of power pop. It's like a wonderfully weird mix of Joy Division, The B-52's, and Letters to Cleo. I'd dare you to try to sit completely still while listening to "Waiting for the Pills to Take Effect," but then listening wouldn't be any fun. Cold Expectations have created a catchy and infectious song that you'll have stuck in your head all weekend... if you're lucky. Cold Expectations say of their latest single: “‘Pills’ is a conflux of emotions that comes from a desperate place in search of a hopeful outcome. At its core, it’s a masterclass in irony, exploring how a...

Manchester, NH's Hell Beach have even the most diehard music snob revisiting their take on pop punk. They have a new single out, and it might be the heaviest we've ever heard from them. "The Deep" is still pop punk, just harder and faster. (Jordan Hill's voice is so perfect for the genre that I think any style song is going to sound like pop punk...) At just over two minutes, Hell Beach pack everything they have into this new song. As pop punk as "The Deep" is, there's some other sound creeping in that I can't quite identify, so we're just going to call it alt-rock (like we did in the 90's when we couldn't define something). Based on this new single and Hell Beach's previous one, their upcoming album might have been able to catch the energy of their live show, which would be impressive. You can watch the video for "The Deep" below. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is out November 13 on Counter Intuitive Records, a...

Photo by Pooneh Ghana The latest from Font is nearly impossible to describe. "Punish Task" is a cacophonic track that stops just barely shy of being electronic noise. Beats are the focus of the song, but they don't really help in keeping the song under control. Instead, the vocals hold everything together, and are almost pop-like. There's also a cinematic and nearly orchestral feel as the song continues. "Punish Task" is certainly not going to work for everyone, although it could. As bizarre and art-rock as Font get with their latest, there's a surprising level of accessibility... if you're willing to give it a true shot. Thom Waddill says of his band's latest single: “the song is about the relationship between dark and light, rage and euphoria. It’s about betrayal and grief and feeling condemned to forever pick at a bleeding scab. The angry dark underside of nostalgia’s fake coin.” You can listen to "Punish Task" below. American Bully ...

Photo by Louise Sullivan Star Moles is the musical project of Emily Moales. The Philadelphia artist's new single, "Born Again," is a laid back slice of modern indie rock. The song has a hard pop slant without being a pop song, and even edges into a folk/country side. If you love other artists that meld those styles (Jessica Lea Mayfield, Lily Seabird, etc.), "Born Again" is going to be your kind of song. The way Star Moles blends different genres into something new yet familiar reminds me of early Beck. This is a fun sounding, laid back song that would be perfect for driving around without a real destination. Star Moles is the kind of artist that has huge potential, so don't be surprised if she ends up blowing up sooner than later. Emily Moales says of her latest single: “The thing about writing something that’s true is that it basically can’t be narrative. If you’re angry or sad or in love, the feeling itself is an exaggeration. Trying to tell the truth in ...

Photo by Marley Chaney New York City singer-songwriter Nadia Faye has a new single out that spans multiple genres while being sparse. "drift" has its roots in dream pop that leans heavily into the pop side of things. There is also some folky aspects, and maybe even some country twang. Faye has included some interesting instrumentation almost in the background towards the beginning that I didn't notice until after a few listens. "drift" is aptly named, as it has a dreamlike quality that makes you feel like you're drifting while listening. Nadia Faye has a special sound on this one that is going to inspire multiple listens to take it all in. Nadia Faye says of her latest single: " This song conveys the disorienting drift of being swayed by someone’s fleeting affection. Under fluid 'water movements,' I become suffocated by my own perpetual desire and the impermanence of attachment. I know it is not enough, and I can feel the withholding drag me und...

Photo by Cmod The latest single from Baby Wave is an ode to East Nashville's DIY scene. "The Scene is Changing" is a burst of slacker indie rock with just the slightest hints of modern pop peeking out. Aside from the slightest hints of pop, this new song is filled with swirling and buzzing guitars, and some of the finest loud/quiet/loud moments we've heard in a long time. Baby Wave are taking the classic 90's indie sound and repurposing it for today. If you're into current bands like Wednesday and Weakened Friends, you're going to find a lot to love in "The Scene is Changing." And Baby Wave could end up being all of our new favorite band. book NOT brooke says of her band's new single: “You can spend your entire life on the outside, feeling like you’ll never belong, and even if you do find “the scene” for a moment in time, you can spend the rest of your life jaded or living in the past. Every scene is destined to bloom and fizzle.  I think it ...

As Gen-X and Millennials age, it's hard to not notice that a lot of our idols have abandoned their former values and beliefs and gotten much more conservative. Luckily, there are still some of our 90's heroes that are still on the same side. Boston hardcore heroes Tree are amongst the good ones, and their latest single, "Thin Blue Line," proves that. It's a loud and heavy track about "... police corruption, perjury and their code of silence." Plus, it shows that Tree haven't slowed down or mellowed in the past three decades. It sounds like it could be an unreleased track from any of their classic releases, but they've still got it in 2026. Crank this one, and be thrilled that your favorite band when you were a teenager will still piss off your parents. You can listen to "Thin Blue Line" below. Missing in America is due out November 27 on Creep Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Tree, check out the band on Faceboo...

Photo by Kimberly Ha The singles from THAO's upcoming album have been diverse, and her latest doesn't sound like anything else she's put out before. "Nguyen Nguyen Lose Lose" brings in Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas on guitar. This new song is incredibly chill and stripped back. I usually associate Nguyen's music with being energetic and boisterous, but this latest sounds more like an indie rock or folk-ish version of trip hop. It has that quality that defines THAO's music that combines rock and folk instruments in a way that is almost an electronic dance style. By how quiet "Nguyen Nguyen Lose Lose" is, it might not grab you in the same instant way THAO normally does. But, the longer you listen, the more hooked on the song that you'll get. Thao Nguyen says of her latest single: “This one is another example of assessing what you leave and what you will take forward. I’m trying to get lighter, freer.” You can watch the video for "Nguyen Ng...

Photo by sasss world Teens in Trouble is the musical project of Raleigh based artist Lizzie Kilian. Her latest single, "I Do," is a giant power ballad that lands in that indie rock meets pop area that we can't seem to get enough of these days. This one seems to land more in the rock side of things than most, with crunchy guitars that seem to dominate the song. Plus, Killian has this great slacker thing going on with her vocals, giving "I Do" somewhat of a 90's alt-rock song. It's an oddly catchy track that is going to hypnotize you with its guitar chords. The song has a bit of a better side of modern Weezer meets Lucy Dacus quality to it. Lizzie Killian says of her latest single: “This is a friendship breakup song. I'd convinced myself I was over it until a mutual friend asked me about the situation over brunch. As I started to explain what happened, I found myself getting heated and realizing that maybe I wasn’t actually over it after all.” You can ...

Photo by William Howard "Loma Linda," the latest single from alt-rock icons L7, was originally written with then bassist Janis Tanaka in 2003. (Tanaka has also replaced bassist Jennifer Finch after her death earlier this year, with Finch's blessing.) It remained a demo for over twenty years, and was just completed with music and lyrics last week. Meant as "an expression of love and gratitude for Jennifer, Janis and their badass fans," this new song is an alt-rock power ballad much more restrained than we're used to from L7. While "Loma Linda" might not be as fiery and punk as the band's more classic material, it contains every ounce of their emotions as their 90's releases did. It may be more quiet, but it's just as kick ass as you'd expect. Donita Sparks says of her band's new single: “This new single marks the return of Janis Tanaka being back in L7 on bass after the sadness of losing Jennifer Finch a couple of months ago. ...