If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Jordan Mikhail You know that if we're bringing you hardcore then it's gotta be something unique. That's the case with Good Teal. The New Jersey hardcore band just do the genre differently. Their latest single, "Excusing the Hurt," is as fast and heavy as hardcore can be, but they seem to add a little extra venom to their sound. Plus, it's noisier and more discordant than most, and even includes one of the shortest shredded guitar solos around. As with my personal favorite songs in the genre, "Excusing the Hurt" changes up multiple times despite its two minute length. Good Teal are as intense as they are creative, and this one will blow you away in both volume and innovation. Reg Mason (vocals and bass) says of the band's latest single: “Hardest song for me to write, lyrically. I’ve rewritten this one maybe 3 times, I want to say. I never felt that I had a proper place to talk about being a victim of abuse growing up. I trained myself to ...

Seattle's Ok Bucko are making power pop unlike anyone else out there. Their latest single, "They Live," is filled with all the catchiness you expect with power pop, but they've also added an intense layer of shoegaze fuzz over the entire song. Plus, there's more than a little grunge distortion in the song, and Miranda Hardy is nailing the whole 90's slacker vocals thing. "They Live" is power pop, and while it is fairly upbeat, there is a surprising amount of darkness to the song. Ok Bucko are infusing quite a lot of sound and moods into this latest single, but that's certainly never a bad thing, especially when it works out this great. You can listen to "They Live" below. Ok Bucko EP is due out August 22 on Youth Riot Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Ok Bucko, check out the band's website . Ok Bucko EP by Ok Bucko

Photo by Zach Habernen of PostFix Media Last time we heard from Maine's Jon Chesbro was back in May with "Choices." With his latest single, the psych-pop artist dives much deeper into the psychedelic side of that equation. "One Last Dance" is still primarily a singer-songwriter track, but this new one is much trippier than the one that came previously. As soon as the guitar kicks in, you start to know what you're in for. It's a very plaintive sounding track, which you don't typically get with anything even remotely psychedelic, although the song does get more uplifting as it goes on. "One Last Dance" ends in this absolutely epic guitar solo that demands repeat listens, and ups the mind-altering factor exponentially.  Jon Chesbro says of his latest single: “This song is about the final moment you have before the world ends. You find yourself working for a job you hate, paying taxes for stuff you don’t want, and you really don't ever enjo...

Photo by Luke Ivanovich Golden Apples is the musical project of Philadelphia's Russell Edling. Their latest single, "Mind," is an oddly groovy song that blends the psychedelia of bands like The Apples in Stereo with a more modern alt-pop sound, with some 70's AM radio sprinkled in. The single is delicious power pop that has a lot more oomph to it than I expected. It starts off mid-tempo, and while it never quite picks up the pace significantly, it does get a little heavier with a bit more of an edge so slowly that you may not even notice. This is a fun single, and if you're into any form of power pop of psychedelia, it's well worth your time. Russell Edling says that his new single “... explores the futility of seeking peace via mindfulness amidst the constant sorrows of the times. Today, it is impossible to exist for a day without being faced with nearly unthinkable evils, and any defenses I had concocted to keep myself feeling sane and safe have been overwhe...