Weakened Friends featuring Buckethead - "NPC"

By -

Photo by Justin Labadie

When Weakened Friends were joined back in 2017 by J Mascis for "Hate Mail," it made sense. Both are New England based artists, and Mascis ends up at a lot of Amherst/Northampton area shows when he's not on tour. I could see Weakened Friends crossing paths with Mascis and deciding to collaborate. However, for their latest single, "NPC," the Maine indie rock trio join forces with guitar hero Buckethead. Yes, THE Buckethead who has been a member of Primus and Guns n' Roses. It's an unexpected match up, but "NPC" still sounds like a Weakened Friends song. In fact, it might be the most Weakened Friends song of all Weakened Friends songs. It's an epic indie rock song with emo tendencies that mentions mental health issues in the most rocking way possible. Add in an epic Buckethead guitar solo, and everything works perfectly together. 

You can watch the video for "NPC" below. Feels Like Hell is due out October 10 on Don Giovanni, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Weakened Friends, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include November 16 at The Drake in Amherst, MA and November 20 at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA.


9/21 - Chicago IL - Riot Fest 


10/16 - Troy, NY - No Fun
10/17 - Rochester, NY - The Bug Jar

10/18 - Toronto, ON - The Sound Garage
10/22 - Cincinnati, OH - Radio Artifact
10/23 - Chattanooga, TN - The Boneyard
**/** - Coming soon
10/29 - Charlotte, NC - Snug Harbor
10/30 - Durham, NC - Pinhook
10/31 - Atlanta, GA - Altar
11/1 - Greenville, SC - Swanson’s Warehouse
11/5 - Milwaukee, WI - X-Ray Arcade
**/** - Coming Soon
11/7 - Detroit, MI - Lager House
11/8 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
11/9 - Columbus, OH - Ace Of Cups
11/12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Bottlerocket Social Hall
11/13 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong
11/14 - Philadelphia, PA - Nikki Lopez
11/15 - Brooklyn, NY - The Sultan Room
11/16 - Amherst, MA - The Drake
11/20 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair
11/21 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground (Showcase Room) 

On Repeat...

Live Shows: Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, Eight Foot Manchild, and Lovina Falls, The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA 7/12/25

By -
Image
One of my favorite things is going to see a diverse live bill. Anyone can put together a show with three pop punk bands on it, but it's a challenge (and far more interesting) to put three unique bands on the same show and have it work out perfectly. Saturday night at The Sinclair saw the steamcrunk of Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, doombrass heroes Eight Foot Manchild, and the baroque pop of Lovina Falls, and it was perfect. Opening the show was Lovina Falls, the current musical project of Valerie Forgione of Mistle Thrush. This was my third or fourth time seeing them in just a few months, and I'm still entertained every time. It's been interesting to watch Lovina Falls adjust and discover their sound over the past two or so years, and I think they've nailed their current sound down. It's an engaging blend of the baroque pop they started out with mixed with a more rock based sound. Songs like "Ellery Way" and "Vaulted" continue to ...
Read more

Die Spitz - "Throw Yourself to the Sword"

By -
Image
Photo by Anatheme Austin's Die Spitz have a sound that I'm shocked we haven't heard much of yet. Their latest single, "Throw Yourself to the Sword," has guitars that are both grunge and metal, and includes the intensity of riot grrrl adjacent bands like The Gits and L7. The guitars both chug along and thrash about, and it's reminding me of a more aggressive version of Castle Rat. "Throw Yourself to the Sword" is a giant, monster of a song that is going to demand that you headbang along, or at least throw up some devil horns. I'm not completely sure I'd classify Die Spitz as metal, but they're very close to metal. And grunge. And punk. This might be the one band that can unite fans of all forms of heavy music. Ellie Livingston says of her band's latest single: “‘Throw Yourself to the Sword’ is a high-energy ode to what we want young people to feel. There’s a lot of existentialism and despair in other songs on the album that still sheat...
Read more

Claire Morales - "YVB"

By -
Image
Photo by Wesley Kirk I'm really struggling with how to describe the latest from Claire Morales. The Denton, TX based artist recently released "YVB," and it's a mind-blowing new song. It's a cosmically psychedelic song that lands somewhere between the light and flowy hippie psychedelia and the heavy psychedelic side. It's an intense single that incorporates 90's indie rock, alt-rock, Mexican guitar, folk, late 60's hard rock, and possibly more. "YVB" sounds like the desert, if that makes sense. This is one you simply need to listen to in order to fully get. The song is filled with swirling guitars and possibly violin to create a song that launches from pretty and poppy to giant, theatrical hard rock. Morales has crafted a truly breathtaking and mind altering song with "YVB," and she has us desperate to hear more.  Claire Morales says of her new single: “'YVB' is the score that plays as you enter the desert realm. The sun sets...
Read more