If It's Too Loud...

We've gotten used to getting singles from Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures, so getting a four song EP all at once is a treat! The Boston based band released Songs from the Plastic Ballroom last week, and it combines everything we've come to love from the Boston based band. "Rolling Over" starts out as a groovy, psychedelic soul song with roots in Americana. From there, "I Don't Wanna See You Cry" is a slowed down neo-soul song that will mesmerize anyone listening. I think this might be the most Smith has leaned into his soul side, and he nails it. "Astral Days" keeps the funky side of the band intact, albeit in slightly more of an alt-rock kind of style. Closing out the EP is "Surreal World," which lets Smith truly shine. It keeps the groovy, soulful style of Songs from the Plastic Ballroom going, but cranks up the psychedelic factor. It's great to see an artist play around with their sound, and Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultu...

For a song that's less than two minutes long, there's a lot going on in the latest from Heather and the Jerk. "Hello" is a bouncy song that combines 60's doo wop with 90's indie rock, along with elements of garage rock and punk. It's filled with sugary and catchy vocals along with fuzzed out guitars and drums that have a bite to them. With so many elements from so many different time periods, it's hard to pinpoint what period "Hello" sounds most like. It's a fun and bouncy track that sounds retro in many different ways. If their previous single "Write a Letter" had us intrigued for Heather and the Jerk's upcoming album, "Hello" has us thrilled to hear it. You can listen to "Hello" below. Scroll if You Love Devil is due out August 27 on Mpls Ltd Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Heather and the Jerk, check out the artist on Bandcamp .

Photo by Matt Burgos August 22 marked the twentieth anniversary of the release of Cursive's Happy Hollow , so to mark the occasion Sapling have released their cover of "Big Bang." This song might be the perfect one for Sapling to cover, as it sounds like a Sapling original if you weren't familiar with the original. It's a weirdo freakout of a song, complete with an abundance of Theremin, along with flute, cornet, and clarinets. If anything, the cover might be bigger than the original, and definitely more chaotic. Leave it to Sapling to take such a bonkers song and make it even more so, and it's a reminder that I need to listen to Cursive more than I do. You can listen to Sapling's version of "Big Bang" below. The song is available now on Bandcamp with a remix by Nicholas Burgess. For more on Sapling, check out the band's website . They'll be playing Electric Haze on September 13 with Battlemode as part of If It's Too Loud... Presents...

Photo by Carlos Cabrera-Mayol Revenge Wife is the solo project of Holychild frontwoman Liz Nistico. Her debut single, "What If It *Is* Me?!," takes the electro-pop of Holychild in a different direction. The song feels a little more organic, adding in some indie rock sounds and also something that's almost folk? It's definitely a pop song, just not a pop song in the way you're used to. I hesitate to refer to "What If It *Is* Me?!" as quirky, but it's definitely unique and fun, going off in unexpected directions throughout its entire length. Revenge Wife sounds like pop music for people who normally dislike pop (but also pop fans!) The fact that Nistico's upcoming album consists of twelve songs, each representing a zodiac sign (this one is for Leo), and ends in an eleven minute sci-fi short story just makes it more intriguing.  Liz Nistico says of her latest single: “To me, this song is Dave Matthews with the windows down, running through a field o...

Photo by Angel Alcala East Los Angeles garage punk band Hyper Minds have a new-ish single out off their upcoming album, and it's a must hear. "Sink or Swim" is more punk than garage. It's a fast and furious song with just enough fuzz on the guitar to keep it sounding garage. It's filled with gang vocals, and it's chaos that's just barely held together. This is amped up classic sounding punk, and at just under three minutes long, "Sink or Swim" feels like it's an epic. Hyper Minds have a breakneck sound on their hands, and punk fans are going to love this one. Roland (guitar, vocals) says of his band's new single: “I want people to know that they’re not alone in the struggle, and there shouldn’t be any shame or embarrassment attached to the challenges they face in their lives." You can listen to "Sink or Swim" below. Hyper Minds' upcoming album will be released on DC-Jam Records. For more on the band, check them out on I...

Photo by Cole Crusciel I'm admittedly a Tysk Tysk Task superfan, so I'm going to rave about virtually everything they release. That being said, they have something truly special with their latest single. "Home Now" is meant as a follow up to "Ocean Now" from 2022's You're Sorry More. This new song is truly gorgeous while still expressing raw emotion. It doesn't have that explosive quality that we typically associate with the Lowell band, but it's still powerful. "Home Now" is a slow burn, and it makes the noisier payoff towards the end matter even more. Rather than a typical loud/quiet/loud song, it's more quiet/less quiet/louder/less quiet/loud. The song is morphing through virtually its entire six minute length, and listening is a fully cathartic experience. There is less of Tysk Tysk Task's more current shoegaze sound in "Home Now" and more of a trip back to their more woodland grunge days, and even their indie ...

Photo by Lisa Czech Sean Coleman has been kicking around the Boston music scene for years, and is a member of the classic rock cover band The Bleeding Hearts. Now the songwriter, producer, singer, and guitarist has a new project dubbed Sean Coleman Project. For his debut single, he's joined with The Voice contestant Mia Boostrom on "You've Got to Choose." The new song starts off as a standard blues rock track, with the focus being on Boostrom's vocals. And it's a great song as it is. But then the guitars bring in the rock, and the entire song steps up completely. Boostrom's vocals and energy are also elevated after this point, and "You've Got to Choose" goes from good to great. Sean Coleman Project have a killer debut here, and we're looking forward to hearing what's next. Sean Coleman says of his latest single: “It's a story as old as time: A woman discovers her man has been unfaithful, so she gives him an ultimatum – you've ...

Photo by Rosie Cohe I'm old enough to remember when Eli Paperboy Reed first appeared in the Boston music scene, the general reaction was "Who is this kid singing soul music?" to "This kid is really great!" Now, that "kid" just released a single called "Like We Used To," with the line "Let's make love like we used to," which makes me feel downright ancient. The new song from Reed's upcoming Swamp Dogg produced album, is a fantastic example of neo-soul. It's one of those songs that sounds like it could have been released any time in the past six or so decades while still sounding like 2026. Reed is at his best when he's both vintage and modern, and "Like We Used To" easily stands up with our favorite songs from Reed.  Eli Paperboy Reed says of working with Swamp Dogg: “I knew Swamp had been focusing on his own material for quite some time and probably hadn’t produced another artist in thirty years, but when I...

Photo by Pooneh Ghana Austin's Annabelle Chairlegs is back with a new song, also from the sessions that produced her excellent Ty Segall produced album Waking Up. Of all the songs we've heard from Chairlegs, "Beef Witted" sounds the most like the album's producers. It's a fuzz-heavy burst of garage psych, and when we say fuzz-heavy, we mean that. There's a thick layer of feedback coating nearly the entire song, and there's a Stooges style slinkiness to the whole endeavor. Our adoration of Annabelle Chairlegs grows with each and every song we hear from the artist, and "Beef Witted" is no exception. It only shows how great Waking Up is if this was left off the original album. Bandleader Lindsey Mackin says of her new single: “I worked with my great aunt at a Scottish butcher shop, and I always remembered her saying 'he’s got beef for brains' in her thick Scottish accent. I wrote this song about a past lover that I would consider Beef Wi...

Photo by Chloe Aftel This year saw feminist punk legends heavens to betsy reunite for their first concert in more than thirty years, and now they're back with new (to us) music! "ain't never goin' back" is a previously unheard song from a demo recorded in February 1992, and will be a part of a new release due in October. This is from a demo tape, so it's raw, but that's kind of what we want from this era of indie rock, and from heavens to betsy. For fans that have been waiting over thirty years to hear anything new from the Corin Tucker and Tracy Sawyer project, "ain't never goin' back" is going to be a delight. And it's a reminder of just how great heavens to betsy were, and are, since they'll be playing more shows this fall! Tracy Sawyer says of her band's upcoming release: “I wasn't sure if I would ever revisit heavens to betsy, and then when we started talking more about it, and feeling how relevant the subjects are to...

There are a lot of days that feature a ton of live music in the Boston area, and choices need to be made. That's usually tough, but this Saturday, August 22, choosing is going to be virtually impossible with these five separate festivals happening around the Boston area! Let's hope the forecast clears up, because Saturday could end up being legendary! JP Porchfest, Sam Adams Brewery, Jamaica Plain, 12:00-6:00 I'm sure there are other great shows happening as part of JP Porchfest on Saturday, but I'm going to focus on the Meraki Main Stage at Sam Adams Brewery. It's a Boston hip hop showcase, featuring STL GLD, Oompa, Cakeswagg, Tori Tori, Lik Meraki, and Nahli. We're huge fans of the first four listed (we admittedly aren't familiar with Lik Meraki or Nahli), but this line up is absolutely bonkers and could easily sell out most venues throughout town. And Saturday you could see them all for free! Wildflower Festival, Keyes Field Stage, Milford, NH 12:00-9:00 ...

Photo by Georgia Mitropoulos Stef Chura's first single in seven years was an all-star affair, so her follow up is a much more stripped down song. "Lovesick" is a piano ballad, consisting mostly of Chura's vocals and piano. That doesn't mean that this new song is any less captivating than "Danny." The song is three minutes of pure bliss, allowing you to focus completely on Chura's vocals and lyrics. Chura's vocals have never been as emotive as they are on "Lovesick," and we can't get enough of this wonderfully simple song. While "Danny" was what we needed and expected from a Stef Chura comeback, "Lovesick" shows that she has some surprises in store for her upcoming album. Stef Chura says of her latest single: “It’s about desiring love and the journey to being lovable. It’s also about a toxic love and how it can feel addictive to want to be with someone who’s bad for you. I knew that this person made me feel bad ye...