If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kimberly Ha The highly anticipated new album from THAO comes out tomorrow, and there's one last single to check out before then. "Take It Easy" is more like a rock song than we've heard from the previous singles from THAO's upcoming album. It's a quirky indie rock song that never gets cutesy, and while it does delve into her folk side, it's predominantly a rocker. It's also as catchy as anything that she's released to date. This one reminds me of my personal favorites from her time as Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, and it's going to immediately grab you and make you need to dance. If you weren't already thrilled about the release of Show Me , you certainly will be now. Thao Nguyen says of her latest single: “It’s written in the voice of a person I used to be married to. It’s me asking for forgiveness — from her and myself.” You can watch the video for "Take It Easy" below. Show Me is due out October 30 on Kill Rock St...

Photo by Libby Rodenbough Viv & Riley are back with a new single, and it's everything we've come to love from the folk duo. "Sourwood" is a gentle song that perfectly captures both traditional and modern folk sounds. It's not quite folk pop, but it's also not not folk pop. I think what keeps Viv & Riley from becoming a true folk pop group is just how much of the traditional side of the genre they keep in their songs. "Sourwood" is going to be perfect for both your purists and more mainstream fans, but that's kind of how these two have always been. And their releases just keep getting better and better. Vivian Leva says of her group's latest single: “‘Sourwood’ was inspired by the sourwood trees that erupt into orange and red blazes in the mountains of Virginia every fall. I was thinking about how these trees display such vibrant beauty before they inevitably lose their leaves and become bare each winter. There is something that seems ...

As you can probably tell, we're not a heavy music blog. We tend to prefer the sounds of indie rock, folk, alt-rock, punk, etc., with occasional posts about hip hop, cumbia, jazz, and others, and very rare metal posts. But, I do have a rarely seen metal side, and I did enjoy going to Ozzfest back in the day, so when a chance to head down to Texas to see Sick New World... how could I say no? I'm not going to get into the controversies of the day, and while the event wasn't perfect, it's somewhere between the online discourse of it being the worst planned event ever and it running perfectly. Here were my favorites of the day! Kittie I always enjoyed Kittie's 2000 album Spit , and it probably holds up better than most metal albums of that period. There was always a bit of a novelty factor of teenage girls playing metal, but now they're adults and back, possibly better than ever. They absolutely rocked the Spiral stage, proving they are far better than you remember. ...

Artist : The Olivia Tremor Control Album : The Same Place Quick Thoughts : When it was announced that the first Olivia Tremor Control album in well over 25 years was coming out, I was very excited. The Elephant Six band was probably the weirdest of the set of weird acts, and much of this album was recorded between 2002 and 2014. The untimely deaths of Bill Doss and Will Hart, however, did as much to delay this final album as it did to get it out to the masses. If there's a takeaway from this it's that The Olivia Tremor Control were a truly special act and that the direction they were heading would have been among the more interesting trajectories this side of Of Montreal. A really, realy great release on all accounts. Songs of Note : "Begin Now!" "Timewaster," "The Same Old Place," "We Captured a Frame," "Halfway Down," "Leaf," "Garden of Light" Artist : Art d'Ecco Album : Scheele's Gr...

Photo by Sydney Tate Trinket are a New York City band made up of Madison Kate Proffitt and Sean Camargo. They have a new single out, and it's going to make you fall in love with them as much as we have. "If Not Soon Then Now" is a gorgeous song that shows off the sugary sweet side of indie rock. According to the song's press release, it "... examines the excitement and anxiety of a new connection." That pretty much sums up the sound of the song, too. It's filled with joy and hope, but it's also filled with plenty of nervousness. Sometimes it's one or the other, and others it's both. The song swirls around you with huge, fuzzed out guitars, and it will make you feel the subject matter regardless of your relationship status. Trinket say of their new single: “This song is very directly about starting a relationship with someone new; it’s exciting, but you quickly realize that insecurities, fears, and things you’ve dealt with in past relationship...

Photo by Cleide Angolano Boston dream pop trio Objects in Motion have a new video out from their recently released EP, and it's the perfect way to start your morning. "River Road" is laid back but just peppy enough to help start get you moving. Even though it's not an Americana track, there's something rootsy about the song. It's poppy, with just the slightest rough edge to it. Vocalist Vinda Souza is mesmerizing on this track, and it's almost guaranteed to lull you into a hypnotic-like state. We're just discovering Objects in Motion with "River Road," but something tells me we're going to be covering them whenever possible. Objects in Motion say of their new single: “‘River Road’ is about childhood. It’s an homage to loving parental and familial relationships, growing up abroad, having a sense of connection to faraway places, being gloriously and deliciously trapped by memories, and being able to look back very fondly at our personal ori...

Photo by Jade Skye Hammer Indie rock isn't typically described as trippy, but no one thought to tell Being Dead that. The Austin band have released two new singles, "Man or Myth" and "Aquarium." The songs have everything we came to love about indie rock in the 90's mixed with vintage psychedelia from the 60's. Both songs sound like if the golden age of indie rock happened thirty years earlier. "Man or Myth" is more of a traditional trippy song, and "Aquarium" has more of a folk/sugary pop sound. (In fact, it kind of sounds like if "Sugar, Sugar" wasn't written for a cartoon.) Both songs sound related, but also they're completely different members of the same extended family Being Dead say of their recent signing to Polyvinyl: “We don’t mean to put too much pressure on Polyvinyl, but if we’re not inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame within the next two years, we’re throwing in the towel. That said, we have f...

Photo by Diana Levine We last brought you music from Wayward Vine back in August of 2025, and now the Boston indie folk project are back with a new song. While "Salt" is a folk song, there are plenty of elements of rock throughout the track. And not the indie rock meets folk sound we bring you all of the time. This is a huge sounding song that mixes indie folk and anthemic indie rock. This feels like if Springsteen took a shot at making a modern folk record he could still play with the E Street Band. "Salt" is the kind of song that you'll like immediately after pressing play, and four minutes later you'll be fully obsessed.  Greg Lawrence (rhythm guitar and vocals) says of his band's new single: “Our songwriting has always had a strong element of exploring the emotions associated with human connection and relationships, including how they evolve, and in many cases, end. ‘Salt’ is a bit of a mosaic of a few relationships that started out with promise but ...

Photo by Blake Studdard At this point in their careers, most people are going to pay attention to anything The Flaming Lips do. You may ask "How could they possibly become cooler and more respected?" Well... the next Flaming Lips album is going to be released on Third Man Records! Plus, their latest single is perfect for Halloween! "God Will Control the Werewolves" takes the band's recent laid back, spacy, and trippy sound, and added some 60's lounge cool to it. If you've ever enjoyed the music of The Flaming Lips (and even if you've dropped off somewhat recently), "God Will Control the Werewolves" is well worth your time. One thing about The Flaming Lips is that they're certainly never boring. You can listen to "God Will Control the Werewolves" below. The Teardrop Throbs is due out January 22 on Third Man Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on The Flaming Lips, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour date...

Despite being involved in the Boston music scene, Haywire mostly escaped my attention. I knew they existed, and there was a huge buzz behind them, but hardcore isn't always my thing, so I mostly missed them. I saw them opening up for Dropkick Murphys back in March, and they were good, but I didn't quite get the huge deal about them. Last week I was in Dallas for Sick New World, and once I heard that Haywire were playing a free show Friday night, I had to go and support a local Boston band. And my life may never be the same. The openers, Defcon1 and Ancient Ones, were two solid local hardcore bands that put on great sets. They both played short sets and had their own fans that were there for them, and I remember commenting that crowds in Dallas were pretty chill for a hardcore show. And then Haywire took the stage. Playing a show with no barricade and an active skateramp behind them was a much better sending than a large, corporate venue of Dropkick Murphys fans mostly waiting t...