If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Dan Saltzman The latest from TELL is being called "the feel bad hit of the summer," and we couldn't be more here for it. "Hate Yourself in the Morning" is a dark alt-rock track, but, in true alt-rock fashion, there is a sense of levity to it. It's gritty and rough, with a lighter sense to it. It feels like the song is overflowing with sarcasm, which could just be because they're a Boston band. "Hate Yourself in the Morning" feels like the auditory version of the title character of Pearl 's smile over the end credits. TELL are smiling through the darkness of the summer of 2026, but aren't we all? David Wildman (Guitar, lead vocals, and keyboard) says of his band's latest single: “Lyrically I was just having fun with imagery, although I tend towards the dark side! It tells the story of a relationship where one member chooses the nasty with someone who has a bad reputation, and the other realizes this and warns them that what ...

The trio of Bob Mould, David Barbe, and Malcolm Travis (aka Sugar) have a brand new single out that will delight fans of their original run. "Keep Looping" is a fuzzy and melodic alt-rocker that sounds like it could be an unreleased song from Copper Blue or File Under: Easy Listening. Bob Mould's solo work has been impossibly consistent for decades now, but reforming Sugar seems to have injected him with a new sense of urgency, and "Keep Looping" is a great song. If you've ever been a fan of Husker Du, Sugar, or anything Bob Mould has ever done, you're going to love this one. Sugar is one of those bands I never thought about reuniting, but we're thrilled to have them back. Bob Mould says of his band's new single: “Living in SF, I have a love/hate relationship with AI. It’s bringing my City back to life, but at what cost to society and the environment? And do we trust the current regime to do the right thing with this new tech? The new song has mo...

Photo by Kate Strowkowski Sometimes bands end up pairing together beautifully. That was the case Wednesday night when the highly political saxophone party punk of Downtown Boys was paired with the artpunk/mod of Perennial. Both bands are two of my favorites, and I try to see them separately as often as possible. Together? A complete can't miss! The show took place in the TV studio of Holyoke Media, which was an odd and interesting but perfect place for a show. There wasn't an actual stage as much as a line created by monitors on the floor, but that worked perfectly for these two bands. Perennial was up first, and it had been far too long since I last saw them. They've always been one of New England's most fun live bands, and if anything, they're even more so now. It was an ultra-high energy set that saw the live debut of their killer new single, "What's New On the Beat Scene." Perennial are at their best with high audience participation, which was brou...

Photo by PJ Guinto Josaleigh Pollett has a new single out off of their upcoming album, and this might be my favorite of her pre-release singles so far. "Like a River" is an indie/folktronica masterpiece. The Salt Lake City artist immediately grabs you once the song starts without using volume. The song has so many elements inside of it that it requires multiple listens to fully grasp, although you're going to love it from listen number one. It's relatively calm but quietly intense, with an undeniable beat that adds to the hypnotizing effect. Plus, the calypso element is infectious and sucks you even deeper into the song. Josaleigh Pollett says of their latest single: “Like a River is about an attempt at quieting the noise of my own thoughts and of a chaotic world around me in order to try to be more resilient. A too-late-coffee-fueled yellow-light-lit silent moment - having arrived at myself just in time to feel my pulse speed up and the news of the day sweep me away ...

Photo by Travis Gillett Built to Spill and Blood Lemon bassist Melanie Radford has one new single out before her solo album is due tomorrow (June 26). "Sink & Swallow" takes a bit to get going, but once it does it turns into the most lovely single we've heard from her to date. The songs starts off with an extended ambient opening, and then turns into a compelling and engaging song that borders on folk and Americana. As laid back and relaxed as "Sink & Swallow" may seem at first, there is an intensity lurking beneath the surface. The twang lingering in the song is almost foreboding, but somehow makes the song even more immediate and beautiful. We're sure to be checking out Radford's full album once it is released tomorrow. Melanie Radford says of the video for her new single: “The video is a dreamy depiction of 3 inner selves. I'm a firm believer in people containing multitudes of selves that need attention and care. However, not one singularl...

Photo by Harry McCoy and Karen Baglio Led by Sal Baglio (The Stompers, The Peppermint Kicks), The Amplifier Heads are back with a brand new single. "Rock N Roll Riot" is an amped up history lesson of rock and roll, equal parts garage rock and power pop, with more than a little punk thrown in. It's loud, it's brash, and it just straight up rocks. This might be the loudest song you've heard from someone whose Boston rock roots stretch back to the early 80's. "Rock N Roll Riot" is a straight up, no nonsense rock song. It also has one of the catchiest and simple choruses around that you're sure to be singing for the rest of the day. Sal Baglio says of his band's upcoming album: “S uper 8 is a grainy film. Magic fingers in a cheap hotel. A skip and scratch of a 45 on an old hot RCA Victor. Memory. Lotsa sax. The sound of an AM radio just off the dial on top of a kitchen table 1965. An old Circus magazine in a basement box. The banging of an old ...

Karly Hartzman of Wednesday Photo by Ken Sears Welcome to the third and final day of the Green River Festival, where if you weren't wearing a piece of Geese merchandise, one was provided for you. It was very obvious who most of the crowd at Green River were there to see (which led to the biggest attendance in Green River's forty years), and the big question was if the band of the moment would live up to the hype. Of course, there was a lot of music to be heard Sunday, and we took in as much as we could! Angela Autumn, Backporch Stage Angela Autumn was one of those artists I discovered while preparing for this year's Green River Festival, and I'm glad I did. She plays that style of Americana/roots music that comes right up against the mainstream while still having her own unique sound. Her songs are beautiful, but with an edge to them. Before Sunday afternoon, I had only heard a handful of songs of hers, and after Sunday afternoon, I'm more than a little obsessed. Au...

Linnea's Garden, Boston's favorite "punk rock you can dance to" band, is back with a brand new EP. Get Heard shows an evolution and a step forward for the band. It starts off with "Sell Yr Love," a more contemplative and mellow song than we're used to from Linnea's Garden. It reminds me of some of Kim Gordon's more quiet Sonic Youth songs, but maybe more in vibe than sound. "Grrrl On Guitar" is chock full of references to other bands and songs, and it's kind of fun to try to catch them all... when you're not just rocking out and enjoying the song. "Stop Codon" is a killer and fun rock song, and "Her," the EP's closer, brings back the more laid back and melodic vibe while still being full of power and kick. Linnea's Garden have been on a hot streak lately, and Get Heard proves the band's dominance. You can listen to Get Heard below. The EP is available for download via Bandcamp . For more on Linnea...

Photo by Sonny Loya I was bummed to miss The Animeros at the Green River Festival on Saturday, and now the Austin, TX band is rubbing it in with a new single. "La Camita" is a cover of Traffic Sound's 1971 song, and somehow The Animeros' version is both more retro and modern sounding. It somehow has a retro cool vibe without sounding like a lost cut from pre-1970... but it also kinda does. This is psychedelic cumbia at its finest, and it's a laid back party perfect for dancing. Once again, I'm going to nominate a song as the song of the summer, but "La Camita" is a perfect summer track, and builds to a glorious finish. You could spend four minutes a lot worse than listening to the latest from The Animeros. The Animeros say of their latest single: “In the lead-up to our recording sessions with Dan Auerbach, we were trading ideas and inspirations back and forth. ‘La Camita’ was a song I had never heard, but Dan had it in his extensive 45 collection, an...

Photo by Rex Creative Eli Paperboy Reed has gone from young, whippersnapper upstart to elder statesmen of the neo-soul scene. His latest single shows that growth perfectly. "Getting There" is soul and Americana for adults. This could very well be his most mature music to date, and "Getting There" is the kind of song that can appeal to literally any music fan. It's smooth, but with just the slightest bite to keep things interesting. Plus, Reed's upcoming album is produced by Swamp Dogg, so give him a little extra credibility. (Not that he needs it...) While "Getting There" is rooted in soul, it also has branches in folk, country, and rock and roll.  Eli Paperboy Reed says of his latest single: “This is grown folks music. I’m not 25 anymore, and I don’t want to make records that sound like I am. I want to make music that’s reflective not just of where I’ve been, but where I’m at right now .” You can listen to "Getting There" below. The albu...

Britt Daniel of Spoon Photo by Ken Sears As one of the announcers said, Saturday at the Green River Festival was a marathon. I got there early for Lily Seabird and stayed late for Spoon. It was over ten hours of diverse music, from Americana and folk to cumbia to indie rock to experimental music. It was absolutely exhausting, in the best possible way as I tried to take in everything possible. Here are my highlights from day two! Lily Seabird, Backporch Stage I've been trying to see Lily Seabird live for almost three years now, and the Green River Festival finally let it happen. My expectations were high, and she and her band blew them completely away. I had meant to watch half of her set and then head over to Dean's Beans Stage for the second half of The Animeros, but I was transfixed by Seabird's set. Live she seemed to lean into her more indie rock side with folk elements. It was kind of like if Nirvana or Sonic Youth decided to try out Americana. Lily Seabird set the bar...

Photo by Twylo Landey Somehow, I completely missed Team Dresch the first time around. When the queercore legends started playing shows again in recent years, people whose taste I respect starting freaking out, but for some reason I never quite got around to getting into them. If you're like me, now might be the perfect time to finally jump on the Team Dresch bandwagon since they're about to release their first album in thirty years. Their new single, "One Song," is giving me flashbacks from my college radio days. It's a driving and fun melodic indie rock track. In one track, the huge deal about Team Dresch is fully explained, and I'm mad I didn't spend the mid-90's pogoing like crazy at the front of the stage for their shows. "One Song" is the style of song that eventually morphed into emo, and I'll be spending the rest of the week fully immersing myself into their back catalog. Team Dresch says of their latest single: “There are lots of ...