If It's Too Loud...

The fourth single from The Chelsea Curve's monthly singles project might just be their finest yet. The Boston trio just released "A Better Way," and it's virtually perfect. The song is a jangly as hell pop punk/garage rock jam. It's a bouncy song dripping with punk attitude despite being filled with pop hooks. As sneering as "A Better Way" sounds, you're going to be sneering with a gigantic smile while you listen. Plus, the song is filled with these huge Cheap Trick style guitar riffs, making it a song you need to listen to right now. You can listen to "A Better Way" below. The song is available now via Red On Red Records, and can be purchased over at Bandcamp . For more on The Chelsea Curve, check them out on Facebook . A Better Way by The Chelsea Curve

Glasgow's Rianne Downey has one of the most unique styles you've heard in a long time. Her latest single, "Do or Die," is a straight out pop song. It may sound more like the more organic indie pop/folkish sound that Taylor Swift has been dabbling in of late, but there's no denying that it's pop. But her voice is what sets it apart. She has the voice of a classic country crooner, as if Dolly Parton or Patsy Cline was singing a 50's torch song. It's a gorgeous combination that elevates the song to a level that even anti-pop snobs (aka: Me) aren't going to be able to deny loving. And not secretly loving, either.  Rianne Downey says of the new song: “Why wait for tomorrow? There’s been times when I have really wanted to do this, but not wanted to fail. At the end of the day, there’s no option but to. ‘Do Or Die’ is about getting to the point of trying. Now is always the right time.” You can watch the video for "Do or Die" below. The single is...

"That's the Way I Feel About You" may have been written by Bobby Womack, but it's Aretha Franklin's version that made it legendary. (The originals are named "That's the Way I Feel About Cha.") Covering anything touched by the Queen of Soul is a daunting thing to try, but Boston's Ali McGuirk succeeds in the challenge. "That's the Way I Feel About You" is one of Franklin's more laid back, stripped down songs, and that fits McGuirk perfectly. No one can try to mimic Franklin, and McGuirk doesn't try. She makes the song in her own style and adding her own version of indie soul to it. It's a laid back love ballad that is a perfect tribute to Aretha Franklin. In a press release, Ali McGuirk says of the song: "I’ve loved this song ever since I heard Aretha Franklin sing it on her  Rare & Unreleased  B-sides record. It’s the type of dreamy, openhearted soul ballad that I’m a sucker for.  I’ve always been drawn to the ...

Artist : Hurry Album : Fake Ideas Quick Thoughts : Hurry does a lot of great alt-rock, and has a few solid albums under their belt. Fake Ideas feels like an album from a band that has figured it out, and each song feels better than the last. It's a listen where I struggled in highlighting any specific songs, because they're all great, melodic alt-rock songs. Don't miss out. Songs of Note : "It's Dangerous," "A Fake Idea," "Slogging Through Summer" Artist : Lucy Dacus Album : Home Video Quick Thoughts : I don't think I'm speaking out of turn when I say that both Ken and I think "Night Shift" is a near-perfect song. So Lucy Dacus, with a great debut album, has a lot to live up to, and Home Video largely delivers. There are a lot of solid listens throughout, and it's thematically linked in many ways that was unexpected but welcome. This is definitely a better cohesive album than her debut, even if there is...

We've been rightfully enamored with Pony Hunt ever since we first started hearing songs from their 2016 album Heart Creek. I grew up on oldies and my favorite music tends to be indie rock and modern folk, so their blend of doo wop meets indie folk and rock is a sweet spot for me. With that, the New Orleans based band's latest single might be the perfect song for me. "That Feelin'" is an impossibly laid back folk song based squarely in doo wop with some indie rock tuned guitars. It's the kind of tune that shouldn't work this well, but Pony Hunt have crafted a virtually perfect song out of these elements. It's gorgeous, and cool, and impossible not to adore. In a press release, Jessie Antonick of Pony Hunt says of the new song: "There’s a space between denial and acceptance that feels like a dream world reality. It has a certain kind of feeling—a haze of loss and self induced confusion. Sometimes I just have to jump out of my fantasy and write a son...

I had assumed we had all the Wanda Jackson music we were going to ever get. The "Queen of Rockabilly" is eighty three after all, and is considered retired. Her 2017 autobiography, Every Night is Saturday Night: A Country Girl's Journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , certainly made it seem like she was all done. Turns out she's not! She recently announced a brand new album due out in August, and keeping with her string of working with younger musicians as producers (more recent albums have been produced by Jack White and Justin Townes Earle), this one is being produced by Joan Jett! This made me assume that we'd be getting an album of harder edge rockabilly songs, but the first single, "It Keeps Right On A Hurtin'," goes back to Jackson's country roots. It's a classic country crooner that sees Jackson mourning the death of her husband Wendell Goodman. Her voice may betray her age, but otherwise this song could be from anytime in Jackson...

The Bay Area's Lolly Gaggers are a queercore four piece that cite "90s punk, deathrock, and rockabilly" as their influences. What's interesting is that they don't sound anything like what you'd expect from their influences. "Death Threat" has that darkness of deathrock, but instead it's more of a goth influenced song with more of a combination of post punk and New Wave. The 90s punk influence is audible with the attitude and penchant for gang vocals on the chorus. "Death Threat" is this really compelling mixture of sounds that blend shockingly well with each other, when they're not elbowing their way to the forefront. You can watch the video for "Death Threat" below. Songs for a Plague  will be out July 2. You'll be able to get your copy over at Bandcamp . For more on Lolly Gaggers, check them out on Facebook and Instagram .

You know how punk, rockabilly, and surf rock share a lot of the same fanbase? The Ziggens are the perfect band for that crowd. The band is set to release their first new album in nineteen years this summer (despite never breaking up) and the first single blends all three genres. This year marks thirty years of being Southern California's "cowpunksurfabilly" pioneers, and if you've never heard them before "Rev It Up" is a perfect place to start. It's a raucous song that starts off punk (borrowing more than a little from "God Save the Queen") and evolves into surf rock with a rockabilly flair. Somehow despite being instrumental (except for a few shouts of "Rev It Up!") the song maintains its punk attitude. Not an easy feat without vocals. The Ziggens say of the new song: "Bert wrote this song primarily because the first music he heard as a child was surf music. Growing up in Huntington Beach he feels very comfortable writing reverb...

Photo by Peter Clarke A little backstory on this song. KPM is a London based studio with archives of non-commercial music used in television, films, etc., and has a wide range of symphonic music, sound effects, synth scores, and more dating back to 1956. The label is considered a haven for DJs and producers looking for unique samples. KPM is starting a series called KPM Crate Diggers and opening their archives to a few selected artists. One of them is Damu the Fudgemunk. The first song on his upcoming album from the project features Nitty Scott. To say "Four Better or Worse (Pt. 1)" is a unique hip hop song is just scratching it. The samples sound like space age sounds from the 50's and 60's and orchestral music. It's the kind of song that could have been a cool, laid back track on a DJ mix tape, but adding Nitty Scott brings it to the next level. It's modern hip hop that borrows some 60's swinging cool, which should probably happen more often. You can lis...

Every now and then I worry that I'm going to burn myself out from Sierra Ferrell before her album comes out. "Maybe she's really not that great of an artist" I'll think to myself. And then she releases a song like "In Dreams" and I realize I'm not overhyping her at all. "In Dreams" is this whimsical country song that is both vintage sounding and modern at the same time. You're going to hear some classic Dolly Parton in this one, and that's never a bad thing. As vintage as it may sound, it's not going to sound anything like country or any Americana that you've heard before. Ferrell truly has a sound all her own while feeling familiar and comforting. Plus, Sarah Jarosz joins in for backing vocals just in case you were still on the fence about listening. You can listen to "In Dreams" below. Long Time Coming is due out August 20 on Rounder Records. You can pre-order/pre-save a copy here . For more on Sierra Ferrell, ch...

Photo by Portia Burton I almost skipped Bella White's "Under the Covers" series this week. We've already brought you two other cover songs today. Plus, I've written about the previous two songs in her series, the second one just this past Monday. But, this week's cover is Lucinda Williams' "Fruits of My Labor." World Without Tears  is the album that made me finally admit that I liked country, and I can't think of a more perfect artist for Bella White to cover. And that's what makes this an interesting cover. White takes a classic song that is absolutely tailored for her and reinvents it by not adding anything to the song. The melody and tune to the song remain the same, but musically it sounds like White has deconstructed "Fruits of My Labor" into a minimalist, modernist folk song. It's amazing how much this song changes without other instrumentation, and White's decision not to fill in the spaces makes this a memorable ...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz I remember being really into Snow Patrol back when they released Songs for Polar Bears in 1998. After that, they fell off my radar for a while until "Chasing Cars" was everywhere and they were playing arenas. Lucy Dacus has proven that she's fantastic at cover songs, so when I saw that she was doing a cover of "Chasing Cars" for SiriusXMU Sessions it was obviously going to be great. Dacus' version captures the epic scope of the original along with the emotional intensity that made it perfect for every TV drama in the '00s. This is somehow all done as a stripped down live radio session done in a studio. Like I said, Dacus is incredible at cover songs. You can listen to Lucy Dacus' take on "Chasing Cars" below. Although it's not on the album, Home Video is out today on Matador Records. For more on Lucy Dacus, check out the artist's website .

Hallelujah the Hills can be a pretty weird band when they want to be, but for the most part they're a fairly straightforward indie rock/folk band, albeit with weirdo tendencies. When they were asked to take part in Kill Rock Stars' Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars) , they chose to cover Marnie Stern's 2013 song "Year of the Glad." It's an interesting selection, as the original is an electronic sounding hyperenergetic oddball of a song. Hallelujah the Hills' version remains quite true to the original despite slowing down the tempo and making it quite a bit more folky sounding. They replaced the looped vocalizing that defines the song and used instrumentation to recreate that part. It's an absolutely gorgeous cover and truly showcases Hallelujah the Hills' uniqueness, which is rare to find in a cover. You can listen to Hallelujah the Hills' version of "Year of the Glad" below. The song is available on Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars) , which cel...

According to The Jacklights' Bandcamp profile, they are "Melodic punk with a 90s vibe." If that sounds appealing to you, you're going to love "Eat the Young." To get very specific, it reminds me a lot of Letters to Cleo's pre- Aurora Gory Alice output that was collected in 1998's Sister , but with a little more of a punk edge. "Eat the Young" has that same raw feel and energy. It's what it would have sounded like if mid-90's post punk/power pop bands leaned even more heavily into their Ramones influence. (I didn't think that could be possible, but The Jacklights have proven it is.) This is a really great fun punk song by a still brand new artist we can't wait to watch grow for a long time. You can listen to "Eat the Young" below. Drift is due out July 27 on Red On Red Records. You can pre-order a copy over at Bandcamp . For more on The Jacklights, check them out on Facebook and Instagram . Drift by The Jacklights

Photo via Facebook Colleen Green is one of the artist's Jeff introduced me to. I got sucked in by her cover of the Descendent's "Good Good Things," and was completely enamored with her ultra lo-fi style. In 2015 I originally rejected I Want to Grow Up  since it had a slicker style, but came around and it has become an all time favorite for me. In the past six years, Green has released a handful of EPs and singles, as well as a Blink 182 covers album, but she hasn't released a true album in that time. That all changes in September, and the first single off of that album is "I Wanna Be a Dog." The new song sees Green continue her glorious pop side with killer lo-fi guitars. The chorus borrows heavily from The Stooges' immortal "I Wanna be Your Dog," but sugarcoats it like if The Archies went punk. It also marks the second song we've covered this year about wishing you could live as a dog, which just proves how much of a nightmare 2020 was...

My love of Sapling is very well documented here, so getting new music from them is fairly thrilling. They're set to release a new album in August, and they've shared a new track. "Antisemantic" is still in the demo phase, but it's still a great song. It's not quite the unbridled punk of their 2020 release No Sequoia , at least not at the beginning. Instead it's a funky, almost dance friendly jam with a nearly spoken word/freestyle rant throughout. Sapling nail my favorite kind of punk, which is more mocking than physically intimidating, and "Antisemantic" is a fabulous example of that. And then the noise kicks in and you're left with the smoldering remnants of what you were listening to before. It's epically wonderful. You can listen to "Antisemantic" below. The Apocalypse Musical  (no word on if the songs are going to be part of an interconnected storyline, but let's hope for a Sapling jukebox musical sometime in the future...

The Bee Gees are one of those bands that I'm not too familiar with, despite watching the fantastic Bee Gees: How Do You Mend a Broken Heart documentary. I do know that they kind of accidentally got caught up in the whole disco thing, and had an entire career before disco or Stayin' Alive. "I Started a Joke" is from that time period. The 1968 song is kind of a mopey and sappy heartache ballad. It's definitely not my thing. Enter Kid Gulliver to make me love this song. Their cover is a power pop sensation. It's a bouncy and upbeat version of the song that takes the lyrics and melody and turns it into a party. It's the kind of power pop we can get fully behind, and now we're waiting for Kid Gulliver to issue a Bee Gees tribute album. You can watch the video for Kid Gulliver's take on "I Started a Joke" below. Gimme Some Go! is available now via Red On Red Records, and can be ordered on Bandcamp . For more on Kid Gulliver, check out the band ...

Photo by Nina Raj "Spitting Image" is the debut solo single from Sharon Silva of The Wild Reeds. While The Wild Reeds definitely fit into the folk/Americana genre, "Spitting Image" is more of an alt-rock/pop singer/songwriter track. It's an upbeat track that masks a lot of pain and emotion, which makes sense since it's about the death of Silva's mother. It's the kind of song that you'll find yourself cheerfully singing along to until you actually pay attention to the lyrics. It is a gorgeous song, and Silva's vocals do convey the emotion of the song. It's that dichotomy that makes "Spitting Image" a truly interesting song. Sharon Silva says of the song: “‘Spitting Image’ is a song I wrote in stillness on the flight back from my mothers’ burial. It faces the startling confusion that accompanied my grief, and challenges the notion that we end up making the same mistakes as our parents. Come to find out that sometimes the wrong peo...

Photo via Facebook When we brought you Double Star's "See It Through" last month, we mentioned that the Boston band were "punk doo-wop" and said that despite the horn section they weren't quite ska. They decided to prove us wrong on "Wasting Time." The new song ramps up the doo-wop sound we loved from the previous song. The punk is toned down and "Wasting Time" brings the funk pretty heavily. Plus, the horn section goes deeper into ska than we had heard previously. It's still not quite ska, but it's a few more steps in that direction. If you're looking for funky punk doo-wop with some ska vibes, Double Star are going to become a quick favorite. You can listen to "Wasting Time" below. For more on Double Star, check out the band's Facebook .

Artist : Kings of Convenience Album : Peace or Love Quick Thoughts : Kings of Convenience doesn't release music very often, but when they do? Yowza. It's been twelve years since Declaration of Dependence , and the duo is as dependable as ever. This album is pretty great from top to bottom, and it feels like they haven't missed a step in the last decade. A welcome return. Songs of Note : "Rocky Trail," "Catholic Country," "Washing Machine" Artist : The Catenary Wires Album : Birling Gap Quick Thoughts : Amelia Fletcher, when not a member of Parliament (yes really), is an indie twee legend of sorts, with The Catenary Wires being her latest project. This new album is just expert indie pop from beginning to end, and as someone who enjoyed plenty of Tender Trap, Heavenly, and so on, this was just a lovely listen across the board. Songs of Note : "Face on the Rail Line," "Always On My Mind," "Mirrorball" Ar...

Photo by Mark Doyle Brooklyn's Typhoid Rosie have this great alt-punk sound on their latest single. "Queen of Swords" is a fun, driving punk song, complete with gang vocals throughout. If anything, it's almost a by-the-numbers punk song (but done in the absolute best possible way). What keeps "Queen of Swords" from just being a standard song is Rosie Rebel's vocals. Typically punk vocals are filled with anger and ferocity which propels the intensity of the music. In this song, Rebel's vocals have more of a 90's slacker too cool to care vibe, although it's probably more just sick of dealing with nonsense. It makes Typhoid Rosie have a sound all their own, and I think we all know that not caring can make everything even more punk. Rosie Rebel says of the new song: "Sometimes you just gotta cut a motherfucker out of your life. Your survival, evolution, and the growth of your soul may one day depend upon whether or not you can turn your back...

Photo by Caterina Kenworthy The new single from Stice isn't going to be for everyone. It features vocalist Crab (aka Caroline Bennett formerly of Kiddy Pool/Machine Girl) and producer Jark (aka Jake Lichter of Maine based Lunch Cult). "I Need Cash!!!" is a bizarre electronic punk song that sounds like Deli Girls teamed with Peaches and decided to try to make a huge mainstream crossover hit. If that's something that sounds like it appeals to you, you're probably going to love this song. Even if it doesn't you still owe it to yourself to check this song out. It's the kind of bizarro music that could end up unexpectedly making you a fan. Also, if you're at work or care about your kids hearing NS4W lyrics, headphones on! You can watch the video for "I Need Cash!!!" below. The single is available now via Ramp Local. You can stream/save/purchase the song here . For more on Stice, check them out on Twitter and Instagram .

Whenever I bring you a new song from Izzy Heltai, you know he's just going to knock it right out of the park. I always write that it's a mainstream style folk song that has just that certain something that is still going to suck in more indie leaning folk fans. And "Give It a Try" nails that. It's an upbeat sounding folk song that could easily stand up with the best from Delta Spirit or Dawes. Plus, "Give It a Try" adds some horns which really brings the song to a new level. It's truly such a perfectly written and arranged song that anyone who tells you they don't like it is flat out lying to you. In a Bandcamp post, Izzy Heltai says of the song: "On the surface, this song is about someone I was involved with romantically who didn’t know what she wanted. She wasn’t self aware enough to end it, so I was forced to walk away no matter how much I loved her and how much it hurt. I wasn’t getting what I needed and I wasn’t being treated fairly. ...

Last week we brought you the debut single from Massachusetts based rockers Phantom Ocean. We discovered that one late, so we already have a second single to bring you! "First & Always" sees guitarist Drew Smith take over lead vocals, and this one is a rocker. It's a discordant as hell song that seems to threaten to explode but never quite does. It has guitar work reminiscent of Mission of Burma and Shellac with Smith's howling vocals wailing above, giving the song a bit of a break out grunge feel. It's not a fully comfortable song to listen to, but that's what makes "First & Always" such an interesting listen. In a press release, Drew Smith says of the new single: “This is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written.  I don’t like the idea of putting my sexuality front and center in my music, but if I didn’t write from the heart, I’d be cutting the truth out, which is a mortal sin as a songwriter.  ‘First and Always’ is raw and true for ...

I am way, way, way too old to be rocking out to a song called "Dirty Taint," but here we are. Montreal's Bambies are a tri-lingual and tri-national band with members from Canada, Costa Rica, and France. "Dirty Taint" is the kind of punk song from a band that obviously worships the Ramones and is reminiscent of fellow disciples The Queers and Screeching Weasel. It's just fun rock 'n' roll based punk that you can actually kinda dance to more than just pogoing. It's a brand of punk with some pop sensibilities but nowhere near enough to truly be called pop punk. You can listen to "Dirty Taint" below. Summer Soon is due out August 20 on Spaghetty Town Records in the U.S. and Wanda Records in Europe. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Bambies, check out the band on Facebook . Dirty Taint by Bambies

Photo via Facebook For the second installment of her "Under the Covers" series, Bella White has chosen a more classic song: Guy Clark's 1995 song "Dublin Blues." I'll admit to not being all that familiar with Guy Clark, but White's version has me intrigued. It's a spot on version, just White and her guitar doing a spot on stripped down rendition. Although, White's vocals more than make up for any missing instruments. It's a gorgeous, lush song that ups the at home cover series just as most are winding down. You can watch the video for Bella White's cover of "Dublin Blues" below. For more on Bella White, check out the artist's website .

Worcester, MA's favorite "proto-lo-fi post-punk left-field garage-pop band" are back with a new song. "Water Bottle" is a freak out jam written from the perspective of a water bottle floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It doesn't get much more vintage than this, although there is a modern sheen layered on top of the song. With lyrics like " I am a water bottle / belonging to no one / I'm just a piece of garbage / Clogging the Pacific Ocean ," it's a fairly dark song, although there is an impossible to resist sense of humor with the song keeping it from getting too dismal. This is the kind of song that would have been considered an album filler back in the day but ended up becoming a modern day favorite. You can watch the video for "Water Bottle" below. Music for Concerned Citizens is due out July 9. You can pre-order your copy over at Bandcamp . For more on The Prefab Messiahs, check the band out on Facebook .

We brought you two quick singles from Anna Leone back in March, but things have been fairly quiet from her since then. Luckily we finally have new music from her to bring you. "Remember" is sensational. The song is just Leone and a finer-picked guitar, but there is nothing more that we could possibly want. It has that intimate field recording feel, but it's the actual single. Leone's voice is as stunning as it has been, which is going to be what pulls you completely in. She wields it like a master will any instrument, and it's guaranteed to give you chills. Leone continues to be one of the most compelling artists in 2021, not just in folk but in all of music. Anna Leone says of the new song: "It deals with the promises we make to ourselves and others, and the way it can be a struggle to hold yourself accountable. It’s also about allowing yourself to be hopeful." You can watch the video for "Remember" below. I've Felt All These Things is due...