If It's Too Loud...

Somehow I completely missed Something Sneaky when they first emerged roughly ten years ago, but now the Boston band return with a new EP. Old Notes is a collection of five songs that are going to confuse and delight you. The magic of Something Sneaky is their ability to be both noisy and experimental while being melodic and mainstream. All five tracks swerve wildly between these two disparate styles, with grating dissonance merging with pop rock perfectly. Songs like "Stevie's Here" and "Hole Foods" should be complete auditory train wrecks, but Something Sneaky expertly combine these two worlds. Each song had me wondering what was going on at least once while listening, and as someone who hears far more new music than the average person, that is a delightful experience. Every time you think you know where Old Notes is going, it morphs into something wonderfully different. Justin Iacovino (vocals, guitar, and keys) says of his band's new EP: “Each song is a b...

You might know Dan Cummings as the frontman of Already Dead, and now the Boston based musician and union pipefitter welder has a cover of the union classic "Which Side Are You On?" Cummings' version is an updated version of the folk standard, with lyrics to fit 2026. This song is just as punk as it is folk, and might be the most impactful version of the song we've heard to date. It's pure emotion and venom, and the anger in Cummings' voice is palpable. While most versions of "Which Side Are You On?" that come to mind have a much smoother feel (even the punk ones), this one is rough, which feels intentional. For nearly a century, this has been an important and vital song, but it's never felt as immediate as the latest version from Dan Cummings. Dan Cummings says of "Which Side Are You On?": “This song has had an impact on me since I first heard the version by Dropkick Murphys when I was a teenager. I’ve performed it live, both solo and w...

Photo by Mark Stern Boston ska-punk heroes Big D and the Kids Table have a new single out off of their upcoming album. "Scatterbrain" is a wonderfully chilled out version of the genre. It might be from going to a bunch of Warped Tours in the late 90's/early 00's, but I always associate ska-punk with summertime, and this latest single is a perfect summer song. It has that laid back summer feel to it, more for hanging out than for moshing. It does have enough energy to it to inspire some dancing and grooving, but "Scatterbrain" is also perfect for just hanging out. Even though it's a brand new song, Big D and the Kids Table are giving me flashbacks of my late teens and early twenties. Frontman Dave McWane says of the band's latest single: “I’m so old school that I had ADHD before they added the ‘H’!” says frontman Dave McWane. “When I was in 2nd grade the teachers & school didn't know what to do with me. Why does he test so high in these subje...

Photo courtesy MAMA DOOM MAMA DOOM are a New York retro doom band that doesn't utilize a guitar. Their latest single, "Woven Linen," is a heavy and psychedelic take on doom. It's just about as loud and heavy as guitarless music can be, with keys that sound more along the lines of retro garage rock than anything this heavy. We're personally all about the genre tampering that's been going on in doom lately, and "Woven Linen" is one of our favorite versions of the genre. It's heavy, shockingly melodic, and trippy as it can possibly be. If that sounds like you're kind of thing, MAMA DOOM is definitely for you. MAMA DOOM says of their new single and video: “’Woven Linen’ confronts the weight of religious oppression and reclaims where true power resides—with the Mother, the source of all life. Bringing this vision to life was a collaborative effort and we were proud to welcome four incredible women into the Gratuitous Productions family. Grave Dave...

Photo by Jordan Mikhail Baltimore hip hop artist Noir Benny and New Jersey hardcore band Good Teal have teamed up on an upcoming split release, and have a new single out. "BLEUS" sees Noir Benny and Good Teal vocalist Reg Mason trading verses. The song is one of the most creative hip hop tracks we've heard this year. I was expecting rapping over a hardcore song, but that's not what "BLEUS" is. It's a rap song with the edge of hardcore, but it almost sounds like a cut and paste version of jazz and rock samples. There's a dizzying effect that comes with the song, and this is underground hip hop at its finest. If modern mainstream hip hop doesn't work for you, chances are you're going to love what Good Teal and Noir Benny are doing. Reg Mason says of the newest single: “Benny, Curt, and I got snowed in during a weekend stay in Baltimore. We blasted Max B, played Video Games, and made jams all weekend long. ‘Bleus’; a byproduct of that time spent...

Mercedes Brown is a Wet'suwet'en Tsimshian singer-songwriter based out of Red Deer, Alberta. Her latest single, "Playing with Fire," is heavily leaning towards 90's alt-rock. The song is filled with fuzzy guitars, and reminds me a lot of some of my favorite 90's singer-songwriters like Liz Phair and Tracy Bonham. For much of the song, it feels like Brown is holding back. The song feels like it's building to an explosion, which is does reach, albeit a restrained explosion. There's a tension throughout the song, and even though it doesn't quite reach the expected peak, "Playing with Fire" is going to leave you satisfied by its end. This is a fantastic debut single from an artist we can't wait to hear more from. You can listen to "Playing with Fire" below. Light the Fire is due out June 19 on Ukee Sound Records. For more on Mercedes Brown, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Kristin Sollecito TVOD's Party Time was a highlight of 2025, and now the Brooklyn band have returned with new music. "Rerun" is still a great example of modern post-punk, but this time they've injected it with some indie sleaze. This one grooves hard, and adds some unexpected piano stabs into the mix. It's a little less punk than their previous album was, but I can't imagine anyone is going to mind when a band mixes up their sound this well. "Rerun" is going to be an earworm you won't be trying to get rid of, and you might end up disappointed when it finally wears off. TVOD says of their latest single: "Reasons for desperately needing to quit your day job, move away from your hometown, and start a fresh self-destructive spiral. Change the goddamn channel." You can watch the video for "Rerun" below. The Farm is due out October 16 on Mothland, and is available for pre-order here . For more on TVOD, check out the band...

Photo by Renee Newman Boston indie rockers Gollylagging have long been one of those bands that feels like they should be much bigger than they are, and their latest single shows exactly why. "Jackknife" has that perfect mixture of noisy while still coming right up on the edge of mainstream. The whole song is layered in a fuzz that feels like it's swirling around you, and has that vibe where the song is just meandering about wherever it needs to go. Plus, it has that 90's slacker thing going for it, which is always a favorite of ours. It kind of sounds like Pavement meets Dinosaur Jr, despite not truly being a 90's throwback. Jake Regulbuto (vocals/guitar) says of his band's latest single: "'Jackknife' is about the aftermath of friendship fallouts. You can want the best for people but know your relationship to them can’t be the same as it used to be." You can watch the video for "Jackknife" below. For more on Gollylagging, check out ...

Photo by Paloma Louise For his previous solo singles, Joey Quiñ ones of Thee Sinseers has been mixing vintage soul and rocksteady. His latest, "Bolsita," has more of a vintage Latin jazz sound. It's mostly an instrumental (except for him occasionally saying the song's title), and this one feels and sounds unbelievably vintage. This could easily be a lost track from the 50's or 60's, and listening to this one is a delight. What I truly love about the three singles we've heard from Qui ñ ones' upcoming solo album is that all three sound completely different not only from each other, but also from Thee Sineers, while all still sounding like they belong together. You can listen to "Bolsita" below. Inna Soul Steady Situation is due out May 29 on Colemine Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Joey Qui ñ ones, check out the artist on Instagram .

Born and based in Beijing, Berklee College of Music and Tokyo College of Music educated witch Mixol is back with a brand new single. "bibiboobiboo" is a delightful art-pop song. The song sounds and feels like a cross between Kate Buch and Bjork. It's about two young girls in love, and one takes a time machine to see the other's past. The song feels like a pastiche of styles, and has a truly dreamlike quality. Mixol has a unique style that may be inspired by previous artists, but no one else quite sounds like her. "bibiboobiboo" is a fun one that gets us more and more excited to hear more from Mixol. You can watch the video for "bibiboobiboo" below. The Fool is due out June 24. For more on Mixol, check out the artist on TikTok .

Photo by Rick Perez Southern California's Integra Pink continue to refuse to confine themselves to one (or two, or three) genres with their latest single. While previous singles included elements of cumbia, punk, disco, and psychedelia, "1999" (which isn't a Prince cover) is a straight up alt-rock song. If anything, it's a mixture of pop punk and shoegaze, and I can't believe this is the first time I've typed those two genres together. The song has an undeniable dreamlike quality, and it's a monster of a ballad while still feeling deeply personal. If the three singles we've heard from Integra Pink have been this wildly different, I can't imagine the sonic whiplash we'll get when their EP is released. Bardo Mendez says of his band's latest single: “ Sonically, the song evokes a feeling of nostalgia which made it easy to give it the name ‘1999.'  But the purpose and meaning of the track is the embodiment of what it feels to meet the r...

We haven't brought you new music from Carissa Johnson since September, so we're thrilled that she has a new single out. "I Went to School for Psychology" was released last week and almost slipped by us, which would have been unfortunate. It's everything great about Johnson's music. It's a perfectly written track, and its simplicity is what makes it truly great. You get to focus on the lyrics, which might be some of Johnson's best to date. "I Went to School for Psychology" is instantly compelling, and is one of those songs that is without genre. This is going to work for you if you're into punk, folk, pop, singer-songwriter... really anything. And that's the true magic of Carissa Johnson's music. In a Facebook post, Carissa Johnson says of her latest single: "Sometimes people abruptly end long-term relationships without giving the decency of closure. So you re-enroll yourself in college and switch degrees from art to human beh...

Providence's The Huntress and Holder of Hands has a new single out off their upcoming album, and this might be their most mainstream single yet. "Beasts We Are" sees MorganEve Swain's band sounding like modern folk... although this is their own take on the genre. It's fairly quiet and almost positive sounding. The song is oddly hypnotic, and sounds like a Swain solo track before her other bandmembers slowly come in. With "Beasts We Are," you get a compelling, laid back track with upbeat vibes, even if the lyrics seem to be the opposite of that. The Huntress and Holder of Hand's first album since 2017's Avalon , and we can't wait. You can listen to "Beasts We Are" below. Babylon is due out June 5, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The Huntress and Holder of Hands, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram .

Photo by Zenzele Jordan Patterson was born in North Carolina and raised in San Fernando Valley. Her latest single, "Just My Friend," is a unique blend of pop music and singer-songwriter, with twists that sound only like her. Trying to narrow the song down to a style or two is impossible. It's a little folky, but it's too poppy. It can't be pop, it's too organic. And this is all from a song that's pretty sparse as far as instruments go. It's mostly piano, guitar, and handclaps... and maybe some record scratches towards the end? The song does sound celebratory, and shows that Patterson is one of the most unique talents in all of music. "Just My Friend" sounds like a simple song, but you'll uncover more and more with each listen. Jordan Patterson says of her upcoming EP: “ I said exactly what I meant to say. I felt like I believed in myself. I had a lot of faith. I was like, if I'm gonna make this EP, it's gonna be exactly what I mea...