If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Jackie Vlahos Boston's The Far Out won "New Act of the Year" at the 2024 New England Music Awards and have a brand new single out today. "Laurel" is being called both "funk-pop" and "Yacht rock cool," and those certainly aren't incorrect. The song is based in retro soul, but a much more modern sounding retro soul than you normally hear from neo-soul artists. This is a fun song propelled by killer horns throughout. It's the pairing of Olivia Lowe's fantastic vocals and the horn section that makes "Laurel" completely irresistible. To me it sounds like if vintage Lake Street Dive decided to get funky. This one is sure to even get the indie rock snobs dancing when nobody is around. Lead vocalist Olivia Lowe says of the band's latest single: “‘Laurel’ is deceptively not a love song. It’s about continuing to see someone romantically despite knowing that it’s going nowhere, because they will never commit to being ...

Photo by PostFix Media / Zach Habernen The latest from Jon Chesbro is a tough one to define. "Choices" sits squarely in the singer-songwriter genre, but it also sends little tendrils out into other genres as well. The song sees the Maine based musician mostly venturing into a psychedelic territory, but not in a 60's or even slightly hippie style. This is a purely modern slice of psychedelia that includes electronic elements that include vocal effects, but more in the way that The Beatles used them... so I guess there are some references to the 60's going on here. "Choices" is a surprisingly epic song that completely flips the singer-songwriter genre into something that is going to take multiple listens to fully appreciate since there is a lot going on in this one. Jon Chesbro says of his latest single: “‘Choices’ is about looking back at what you've done, good or bad, and realizing what kind of person it made you. It’s about realizing you've grown fr...

Photo by Emma Cotton literally/nobody is a Boston four piece that, according to their press release, "... interweaves shoegaze, dream-pop and post-hardcore." Their latest single, "in reverse," is as jangly as it is buzzy. It's a poppy and noisy track that demands that a listener at least bop around a little bit throughout it's entire three and a half minute length. Despite having an intimate indie feel, the song also feels like an epic in scope, making it both twee and gigantic. I believe "in reverse" is literally/nobody's debut single, and if so, this is an amazing introduction to a band we can't wait to hear more from. Spender Gusha (vocals/guitar) says of the band's latest single: “The song loosely hints at a secret guilty desire to see the apocalypse unfold. Despite the differences people have between each other we all have the same fate. It’s all a game we play that nobody wins. The song is about my personal nihilism towards existe...

Before crushing the Orange Stage at last weekend's Boston Calling, Pinklids released a brand new single, "Sax." This new single captures everything we loved about the Wareham band's performance. It has that New Wave meets No Wave sound, and the song is an unhinged sounding two and a half minute burst of noise punk that sounds barely under control. It's intense yet fun, and abrasive yet melodic. Plus, there is an amazing breakdown at the end before the song fully spirals out. The saw draws inspiration from "Sacks," a chapter in Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love , and depicts "... a crumbling relationship through the eyes of a son." Pinklids are sure to be making waves here for a while, and expect huge things from them. The band says of their latest single: “Falling in and out of love is a real thing. But that doesn’t make betrayal forgivable. Sometimes you have to name it for what it is.” You can watch the video for...

Photo by Crispin Tan As great as everything Subsonic Eye has released is, there's just something a little extra magical about the Singapore band's latest single. "Being Productive" is a lovely little jangly mess of a song. It has this shoegaze meets The Sundays sort of sound to it, and it's a little bit noisy and a little bit beautiful. There's also a sense of chaos in the song you don't normally hear in jangle pop, but that's kind of what makes "Being Productive" work so well. The guitar can be a little too grating, but amping up your anxiety is kind of what the song is about. As a listener, as the song goes on you sometimes feel like you're being pulled in two different directions, which fits the theme perfectly. Vocalist Nur Wahidah says of the band's latest single: "This idea of 'being productive' has always been challenging for me. When I was unemployed, and I was doing the things that I love in my free time (which w...

Photo by Vittoria Pagliaro London's mary in the junkyard have quickly become a favorite of ours, and if you haven't had a chance to check them out yet, their new single is a great jumping on point. "drains" is a noisy indie rock song that is still imbued with a surprising amount of beauty and pop sensibilities. The guitar is fuzzy and buzzing almost the entire way through, while the vocals seem to have an almost pop or folk way about them. At least in parts. Clari Freeman-Taylor does cut loose in a rather harsh way every now and then, and it's the dichotomy of the lovely and the abrasive that makes "drains" so captivating. Just try not to fall in love with mary in the junkyard after this one. Clari Freeman-Taylor (vocals/guitar) says of the band's latest single: “I am curious about the bowels of the city. We don't see what's below but there are many pipes and caves, and my friend once said, ‘If you bury yourself, i will dig you out again....

Canyon Lights (aka the new trio consisting of Pat Faherty and Tim Carman formerly of GA-20 and Heather Gillis) have a new standalone single out: A cover of James Gang's "Walk Away." The song is pure dirty and fiery blues in its best form. The guitar solos are absolutely stellar, and the song has that almost out of control vibe going for it. Just when you think the instrumental portion might have gone on too long, it keeps on going and makes you realize you were wrong. Plus, this is the type of cover that makes you want to immediately listen to the original, especially if you're unfamiliar with it. Canyon Lights are quickly becoming one of our favorite new Boston bands of the year. Drummer Tim Carman says of his band's new single: “We’re all big fans of James Gang and everything Joe Walsh. While touring as the opening act for George Thorogood, Pat, Heather, and I started playing 'Walk Away' live and wanted to capture that energy in the studio. Recorded at 3...

Photo by Emily Marcovecchio Recently, the UK Supreme Court recently ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Kate Nash has released a new single in response to that ruling, and it might be the most punk rock song of the year. It's a spoken word rant that rallies against the belief that transwomen are a threat to cis women, toxic masculinity, and name checks Elon Musk and Donald Trump. It's a surprisingly experimental song from Nash, and it's straight up badass. At a time where people keep insisting we need Rage Against the Machine to come back, Kate Nash might have us covered. Kate Nash says of her latest single: “Using feminism to erase the rights of others is inherently un-feminist. ‘GERM’ is my response to the recent news that the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex and that the concept of sex is binary. Trans people were excluded from the conversation. "I am left uneasy as I see behaviour...

Artist : billy woods Album : Golliwog Quick Thoughts : billy woods offers a form of modern horrorcore that isn't for everyone, and isn't even for me all the time. GOLLIWOG succeeds in embracing the darkness to an extent while also keeping its somewhat disturbing feel - "Waterproof Mascara" is legitimately one of the uncomfortable listens of recent memory. It's honestly worth the listen, although you'll know quickly whether or not its for you. Songs of Note : "Jumpscare," "Waterproof Mascara," "Misery," "STAR87," "Golgotha," "BLK ZMBY" Artist : Mclusky Album : the world is still here and so are we Quick Thoughts : Mclusky are (finally) back with new music, and it's great. Granted, the venn diagram between Mclusky and Future of the Left may as well be a circle in many regards, but in terms of the Falkous Cinematic Universe, this is the best effort they've collectively put out in a dec...

Photo by Alex Cihanowic "Two Magnets," the latest single from Ohio's Signals Midwest, first surfaced on frontman Maxwell Stern's 2024 solo album, In the Good Light.  Now, it's been reworked as a full band rock song for the band's upcoming rarities compilation. This new version is "indie-rock-tinged punk," which is kind of one of our things here. It has all of the oomph of punk, but with the lighter side of indie rock seeping through. The song comes so close to being Midwest emo, and could probably be considered that genre at some points. "Two Magnets" is a highly melodic and somewhat dissonant indie rock song, and if you're just discovering Signals Midwest like we are, we all now have five previous albums to check out! Maxwell Stern says of the band's new version of "Two Magnets": "I wasn’t sure if  Two Magnets  was supposed to be more of an acoustic-based tune or a full-blown rock song. In the end, I decided to pursu...

Photo by L.A. Lockhardt Austin-based musician Bee Blackwell has a new single out that lands in one of our current musical sweet spots. "Claws" is a 90's inspired alt-rock song mixed with some modern alt-pop. It's the kind of song that's probably a little too poppy to truly be rock and too rock based for pure pop fans. Instead, it sits in this world of incredibly catchy pop songs with noisy and buzzing guitars that ends up being a fun, raw, and pretty song. Thirty years ago this would have just been considered alternative rock the way Letters to Cleo were, but modern tastes are going to recognize just how pop filled "Claws" is. Bee Blackwell says of her latest single: “ CLAWS” is the struggle of being caught between wanting connection and fearing vulnerability.  Expressing emotion is hard, being a control freak is even harder.” You can watch the video for "Claws" below. Nine Lives is due out June 20 and is available to pre-save here . For more o...

Photo by Patrick Moore Pig Pen, the Canadian hardcore band with The Bear 's Matty Matheson on vocals, is back with a new single. "Rabid Beach" is fast and heavy, which you would expect from a hardcore band. But Pig Pen ratchet it up a few extra notches from the typical song of that genre. If anything, the song is louder and noisier than usual, and far louder than you'd expect from a band featuring an actor as a lead singer. At one point, it's almost as if the standard hardcore breakdown is trying to happen, but the noise and aggression overpowers it into something new. There's also an insane guitar solo that almost gets overshadowed by a drum break, with both instruments battling it out over dominance. Yeah... Pig Pen are pretty great. You can watch the video for "Rabid Beach" below. Mental Mentality is due out June 27 on Flatspot Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Pig Pen, check out the band on Instagram .

Photo by Elizabeth Marsh Just as the warm weather is finally returning to New England, Jahnah Camille has released "summer's scorch." The artist's latest is that perfect mix of indie pop and indie rock with a folk undertone. It has the beauty and catchy qualities you'd associate with the genres, and unexpectedly grungy guitars that help suck you in. Camille has previously opened for artist's like Soccer Mommy and Clairo, and has upcoming tour dates with Blondshell, and that helps perfectly explain her sound. "summer's scorch" is the type of song that is going to make many a listener become instant diehard fans... as well they should. And that's before the violin kicks in. Jahnah Camille is the type of artist that could blow up at any second, so welcome aboard the bandwagon! Jahnah Camille says of her latest single: “I wrote it about a crush that I never even talked to. I  was just like, ‘Would I be able to keep myself? Can I be trusted with a...

Photo by Aleksa Haluszczak Lal Tuna left Istanbul at the age of eighteen to avoid self-censoring her music, and has resided in Bordeaux, France for the past two years. Her latest single, "Television Forever," takes inspiration from Japanese surf rock, gothic country, doom metal, and mainstream pop. What's striking about the song is how parts of it sound completely mainstream while others are about as left of center as you can get. It starts off with a dark guitar intro that leads into Lal Tuna's almost dream pop style vocals. From there the song gets both more noisy and more melodic, often at the same time. There's a ton of droning guitars and crashing drums, all held together by striking vocals. My experience listening is enjoyment that led to stopping everything I was doing to fully immerse myself in the experience and take it all in uninterrupted. If there's any justice in the world, Lal Tuna is going to be a huge international artist. Lal Tuna says of her ...

Photo by Jess Keary Once you hear "Sin Eater," it won't come as any surprise that Bon Bon Vivant is from New Orleans. The song simply sounds like New Orleans and the rich musical texture that comes from the city. It's a song rooted in jazz with a rock foundation, along with some funk, soul, and punk. And while Bon Bon Vivant may have a jazz base, the song isn't traditional jazz or even free or experimental jazz. It's like "Sin Eater" was meant to sound like a traditional jazz track and then took some odd left turn, running parallel to a more standard sound but never crossing the line. That's what keeps an artist like Bon Bon Vivant so original, and why we're quickly becoming fans. Songwriter/front-woman Abigail Cosio says of the new single: “We have presented a macabre love song with the concept of the Sin Eater, taking on the weight of another’s burden. I’ll be your sin eater.” You can listen to "Sin Eater" below. For more on Bon B...