If It's Too Loud... Summer Festival Preview part 2

By -

Just a few weeks ago we brought you a list of upcoming summer music festivals to check out since Boston Calling, The Capitol Groove, Back Cove Music and Arts Festival, New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, and FreshGrass aren't taking place this year. It was a list of seven diverse festivals, and now we have more to share!


Prescott Park Arts Festival, Portsmouth, NH, June 22 through September 6

Not a traditional music festival, but the Prescott Park Arts Festival has been one of my New England summer highlights for over ten years now. The festival is mainly a family friendly play (this year is Cinderella), but for our purposes they bring in some fantastic musical artists throughout the summer. Plus, it's only a $20 suggested donation (we implore you to donate so they keep putting these on) to see artists that would cost far more at any other venue. The artists tend to be more along the lines of folk and Americana, and this year brings a bunch of our favorites to seacost New Hampshire, including Patty Griffin and Kathleen Edwards (July 20), The Lone Bellow (July 29), Josh Ritter (August 3), Madi Diaz (August 19), Langhorne Slim (August 28), The Devil Makes Three (August 29), and Margo Price (September 6). Bring a blanket and enjoy some music by Portsmouth Harbor for a great price! More information can be found here.


Nubian Block Party, Roxbury, MA, July 25

I can't find a ton of information on this one, but if you love old school hip hop, you're going to want to check out the Nubian Block Party. Taking place in Nubian Square in Roxbury, this year's festival features legends such as Chubb Rock, Special Ed, Super Cat, and Brand Nubian, this is a collection of artists I've loved for decades. Plus, I can't remember when I saw any of them were playing in the Boston area. For more information, head over to Instagram.


Somergloom, Somerville, MA and Medford, MA, August 6-9

An annual celebration of heavy and dark music, this year Somergloom returns and bounces between Crystal Ballroom in Somerville and Deep Cuts in Medford. As much as we love outdoor music in the sunshine, sometimes you want to retreat to an indoor venue and listen to some dark, moody music in air conditioning. This year's edition boasts another fantastic line up, featuring Dropdead, Junius, Planning for Burial, Miracle Blood, Severed Boy, Hiroe, Eight Foot Manchild, Spirit Hotel, and more! For more information, check out the festival's website.


Rat****** Music Fest, Somerville, MA, August 22 & 23

Another festival it's hard to find information on, Rat****** Music Fest is being put on by Yardwork Productions and will take over the Washington Street Art Center in Somerville August 22 and 23. The festival feels very DIY, and the line up is superb. Over the two days, you'll get performances by If It's Too Loud... all time favorites like Lady Lamb, NOVA ONE, Winkler, Sweet Petunia, Tiberius, sidebody, and more! For tickets and information, check out Yardwork Productions website.


Dromfest, Catskill, NY, September 4-6

This one is a little out of our normal territory, but once you see the line up for this year's Dromfest, you'll be making the trip out to the Hudson River Valley on Labor Day weekend. For the past few years, I've wanted to attend this one, and this year has me ready to bail on my pre-existing plans to finally make it. Put on by Dromedary Records, this year's edition is a who's who of indie rock legends, and features Wussy, Dumptruck's first Northeast appearance in eight years, Come, Scrawl, Consonant, Sleepyhead, Creative Writing, Beth Kaplan of Salem 66, The Marthas Vineyard Ferries, the return of Via (their first show since 1987!), and many, many more. This one is a must attend festival, and tickets and info can be found here.

On Repeat...

TORRES - "I got the fear"

By -
Image
Photo by Ebru Yildiz Somehow TORRES keeps surprising us with her music. The musical project of Mackenzie Scott has released a new single that features her vocals and acoustic guitar that would feel at home in a neo-folk song over a pre-programmed drum beat with sounds that at times are either a light squall of guitar feedback and electronic noises. The song has this haunting and unsettling feeling to it, despite sounding like it's trying to be upbeat. I'd say art doesn't always have to be a pleasant experience, but "I got the fear" can be a pleasant listening experience, except for the times it's not. Mackenzie Scott says of her latest single: “A collective dread has been mounting. Everyone I know is having a brawl with the universe, with themselves…wars, climate catastrophe, a pandemic, the worldwide regression on human rights, the political hellscape — it affects everybody, and I know we’re all feeling it in waves of varying degree all the time. I think it’s...
Read more

Indigo De Souza - "Heartthrob"

By -
Image
Photo by Hannah Sommer The latest from Indigo De Souza is a glorious mix of rock and pop music, stirred up in such a unique way. "Heartthrob" is an upbeat song that is guaranteed to make listeners want to dance. As dance focused as the song is, it has such a raw and rough element in its instrumentation that makes it rock based. Then there's De Souza's vocals that truly blend both genres. There's something a little extra rough about her singing that keeps the song from being pop, while she also has a slacker pop thing going on, too. "Heartthrob" might be the greatest definition of alt-pop possible. Indigo De Souza feels like one of those artists that is set to explode at any minute. Indigo De Souza says of her latest single: "I wrote ‘Heartthrob’ as a way to help process something that is often hard to talk about—the harmful ways I’ve been taken advantage of in my physical memory. ‘Heartthrob’ is about harnessing anger, and turning it into something ...
Read more

Julien Baker & TORRES - "Tuesday"

By -
Image
Photo by Ebru Yildiz Julien Baker and TORRES teaming up for a country album is one of the true joys of 2025. The pair's latest single, "Tuesday," is fronted by TORRES, and according to the press release is about "... trying to overcome and heal from the guilt, shame and religious abuse that so many people experience discovering their identity and growing up Queer." The song is a twangy, laid back country track that lands somewhere between classic country and modern pop music (but nowhere near the current country pop sound). I'm not typically a lyrics guy and don't normally pay attention to the lyrics of a song until after multiple listens, but the lyrics of "Tuesday" grabbed me immediately upon the first listen. This is the type of song that is going to demand your focus and attention.  You can watch the visualizer for "Tuesday" below. Send a Prayer My Way is due out April 18 on Matador Records, and is available for pre-order here . F...
Read more