If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Sasha Khalimonova Montreal's Bodywash released a single last week, and this is a great one. "La Renommé e" is chilled out like previous single "Lapsang," but this one has a bit more of an edge to it. It's a little more shoegaze than dream pop, although it's poppier than shoegaze typically gets. But that wall of noise that hits you is just pure perfection. If anything, it might be more shoegaze meets bubblegrunge than dream pop. Both of those genres land right in my favorites, so there are certainly no complaints from me on that end. "La Renomm é e" is a mini epic of a song that only gets more beloved with each listen. Chris Steward says of his band's latest single: “I’d been reading Kim Gordon’s autobiography and listening to a lot of EVOL-era Sonic Youth at the time and wanted to write a song that had the same hushed sense of urgency. Had no idea the bossa nova-inspired first verse drums would pan out as well as they did.” You can...

Photo by Garret Salazar As diverse as the Western Massachusetts music scene is, there is still a certain sound most bands have. It's a very DIY, noisy indie/alt-rock sound that even folk artists from that region have. That's one of the reasons the new single from Jumpy is thrilling us. Jumpy is Elliot Hartmann Russell, who put out an album ( No Shoes, No Service ) under the Jumpy moniker in 2017. He moved on to other projects, but the album has since become a cult favorite, and Jumpy is back. "Enough" is a wonderfully bizarre song. There's something that feels so 80's pop about it without sounding even remotely mainstream. It's kind of like Buster Pointdexter's "Hot Hot Hot" meets the Talking Heads but through a Western MA lens. It has this hyper sound that swings in unexpected directions, and is both wildly accessible and challenging for listeners. If anything, "Enough" is one of the more fun songs we've covered in a long time....

Photo by Hayley Roets Pauli the PSM (aka Pauli Lovejoy, the musical director of Harry Styles, Florence + the Machine, and Saturday Night Live UK ) has a new single out after last month's "girl with a nose ring." "daddy" sees the return of his alter ego, Prosecco Pauli. While it still has the hip hop meets R&B sound of his previous single, this newer one is more hip hop. Instead early 00's UK garage, I'm hearing more of a 90's US hip hop style. It's an ultrasmooth sound with an edge to it, as Pauli raps about clubs and making it rain in his laid back style. He's joined by VALÉ   who provides her own verse to the song. The whole thing sounds like a modern version of Candyman meets Snoop Dogg, but smoother and edgier. Pauli the PSM says of his latest single: "'Daddy' marks the return of my braggadocious alter ego, Prosecco Pauli - a relic from my former days as a dj in New York City. It’s a playful take on money, power and exces...

Photo by Holly Parker Los Angeles alt-punk garage band SP's have a new single out just in time for Halloween. "Spirit World" is a banger of a song that can best be described as a slightly off-kilter punk track. It's fast, but doesn't have the usual edge or anger of punk. It reminds me a little bit of The Dead Milkmen in that it's punk with an edge, but a fun version of that. And then the song has this bizarre little 1950's kind of doo wop meets easy listening break before kicking back into the punk. It's noisy, it's fun, and it's perfect for the upcoming holiday.  Steve Labate (guitar, piano, organ, and backing vocals) says of his band's latest single: “It's oddly proggy, in a simple sort of way.” You can watch the video for "Spirit World" below. Dating at the End of the World is due out March 26 on Baby Robot Records. For more on SP's, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .

Photo by Piper Ferguuson It's been fifteen years since She Wants Revenge released Valleyheart , and the darkwave group just announced a new album due in February. The album's first single, "BLACK WAX / OUR LOVE," is everything we love about She Wants Revenge. It's filled with the dark, infinitely danceable sound we love. If anything, it might rock a little more than we're used to from them. If you've been a fan of theirs since their 2005 self-titled debut, you're going to love this new one. Actually, if you've loved any if their previous releases, you're going to love "BLACK WAX / OUR LOVE." And if you're new to She Wants Revenge, this is going to make you dive into their full back catalog. Adam Bravin says of his band's new single: “We’ve always been fascinated by the contradictions in love: How something can be beautiful and destructive at the same time, and how you can know something isn’t good for you and still find yourse...

I've been wanting to check out the Mausoleum Hill Sessions ever since I found out about them a few years back, but it never quite worked out with my schedule. A mini-festival that takes place in a historic cemetery, partially after dark? In October? That's practically tailor made just for my interests. This year finally worked out for me, so I headed down to North Burial Ground in Providence to check it out. The event was even more magical than I could have hoped, with vendors perfect for the occasion and two stages of fantastic bands. Here is who I was able to see, and apologies to any bands not mentioned. Nothing personal, but the schedule imploded a bit so that bands were playing at the same time, and I kept getting distracted by different vendors and wandering around looking at gravestones. Wyn Doran It was originally scheduled to be a Wyn & The White Light performance, but with The White Light being sick, it was Wyn solo. Kicking things off for the day, she was a perfe...

If only Adios Fatso released their new single before we were all legally required to call it "Super Intelligence." The Boston punk band just released a new single, "Ai is Taking Your Soul." It's an under ninety second burst of alt-rock meets punk. It's a big rock song that is strangely earwormy and hypnotic. Plus, they're busting out their funkier side for this one. Even if you don't despise artificial intelligence (WHOOPS!), you're going to end up loving this one. Plus, the lyrics and video contain plenty of references to The Terminator franchise. Instead of being in your face with anger, "Ai is Taking Your Soul" is more of a fun rock track, which is what we want from Adios Fatso. You can watch the video for "Ai is Taking Your Soul" below. For more on Adios Fatso, check out the band on Instagram .

Photo by Melissa McLaughlin Bristler are an Asbury Park, NJ band made up of members of Yawn Mower and Dana Why. Their latest single, "Breakthroughs," is an indie rock song that's both melodic and noisy. It's as anthemic as anything U2 has put out, just on a smaller scale. There's something very hypnotic about the song, and listening gives the listener a sense of floating. That's not to say that all of "Breakthroughs" is soft and pretty. It also has more bludgeoning moments, and bridges both the quiet and loud without fully doing the whole loud/quiet/loud thing. If you're a fan of bands like Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie, there's a lot you're going to love in "Breakthroughs."  Lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Rudy Meier says of his band's latest single: “Many years ago, I lent the first guitar I ever owned to a friend of mine because she wanted to learn to play, but never did. Around the time I found myself getting ...

Cleveland punk band Heart & Lung have a killer single that fans of 90's emo-tinged punk are going to love. "I Hate the Sun" feels like that working class emo that isn't quite Midwest emo but is Midwest emo adjacent. It's also incredibly catchy and melodic while still having an edge to it. I'm reminder a lot of bands like Smoking Popes and Yawn Mower while listening to this one. "I Hate the Sun" also has a groove stronger than you normally get with the genre. Sometimes you just want a killer punk song, and that's what Heart & Lung have given us. Guitarist Shannon Sullivan says of the band's latest single: “I wrote this song because I have always had a really hard time dealing with the heat and getting migraines from overheating.  One time on tour, the band roped me into a seven-mile hike around Washington, DC after promising me coffee and breakfast. I have yet to forgive them. This song touches on that.” You can watch the video for ...

Photo by Mary Kula Indie pop-rock duo Child Seat have a new single out, and we're going to end up being huge fans of this one. "Stuck" is a huge pop song with a heavy theatrical side. Despite how pop the song is, there's a strong sense of indie and punk lingering throughout. It's reminding me bands like Scissor Sisters and Metric leaning even further into their pop side. If you're typically a pop hater, I'm going to implore you to check this out, because there's a definite chance Child Seat will end up winning you over. If you're a die hard pop fan, "Stuck" is going to blow you away. Madeleine Mathews says of her band's latest single: “‘Stuck’ is about watching the life you want get further away while you’re doing everything you can just to stay afloat. We wrote it from our experience trying to build a life in music, where money and access can sometimes feel like prerequisites for getting ahead, but it goes way beyond the music indust...

Boston punk legends Nervous Eaters have mellowed out a bit, but so has every band that started out in the 1970's. Their latest single sees them going back to their punk roots, and it's a good one. "Where's Johnny Now" is a rough sounding garage rock song that also incorporates plenty of punk edge and a little bit of glam rock guitar. If it sounds familiar, they've been playing it at lives shows since the 70's. It helps combine their original punk sound with their more laid back, power pop focused one. "Where's Johnny Now" is going to be embraced by Nervous Eaters fans, both old and new. Plus, if you love garage rock/proto-punk guitar solos, this one will be a keeper. Guitarist and songwriter Steve Cataldo says of his band's latest single: “Everybody has a Johnny in their life, with any luck friends can pull them back into the Real World before he's gone gone gone!" You can listen to "Where's Johnny Now" below. Eat o...

Boston's Massive Nightmares' latest singles keeps their signature melodic punk sound, but "Up In Arms" sees the band add some classic alt-rock to that sound. This new single is an absolute anthem that sees the band getting nostalgic about their DIY roots, and it's giving me some pretty severe 90's flashbacks. It's filled with swirling and fuzzed out songs, and I can already imagine the entire front row at a Massive Nightmares show screaming this one yet. "Up In Arms" is a straight up melodic punk track that will have you reminiscing about some of the best shows of your youth. It has me checking my calendar to make sure I don't miss any upcoming shows, because I need to hear this one live at maximum volume. Pat Lavalle (rhythm guitars, vocals) says of his band's latest single: "'Up In Arms' takes its name from Myke’s first punk band, which Pat later joined on bass. The song looks back on their formative years spent playing in ...

Photo by Brianna Benitez and Hersh Powers Boston's Cut The Kids in Half has a new single out that defies you to define it. "Wild Rabbit" is unquestionably a rock song, but what subgenre does it belong in? It has elements of the noise and quirk of indie rock, but the darkness of post punk. There might also be some post rock in here as well, if I ever heard a good definition of that genre. It has a quiet, mid-tempo intensity, with Jack Silver's unique croon over music that is equally melodic and dissonant. At least, until the second half of the song when everything threatens to go fully off the rails. Boston is full of unique rock bands, and Cut The Kids in Half seem to be following their own path. Jack Silver says of his band's latest single: “This is a song about the human paradox.  We want freedom, but we cling to our habits. We want love, but we settle for flesh. We feed the beast that feeds on us. “Wild Rabbit” is an ode to crookedness. I was chasing a wiry, ra...

Photo by Nicole Tammaro Photography Boston's Lonely Leesa & the Lost Cowboys have a new alt-country banger out, and buckle up for this one. "New American Dream" is a track that faces the direction our country is headed and takes it on directly. It's not a quiet song, but it's not as loud as most protest songs tend to be. Musically, it puts the alt- in alt-country. It's filled with loud guitars, and kind of reminds me of a more country version of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot mixed with Drive-By Truckers' American Band. "New American Dream" isn't an easy listen, but it's an important and vital one. Plus, it's nice to hear a country song on the right side. Leesa Coyne says of her band's latest single: “To me, the ‘New American Dream’ is for everyone to have some comfort and freedom. To be able to have those moments of not having a care in the world. To not constantly worry about some impending doom coming around the corner: ‘...