If It's Too Loud...

Manchester, NH's Breaking Up are a punk band that set themselves apart by refusing to adhere to one style of the genre, and that is what we're loving about their new EP. Heard It All Before is a collection of six songs that are highly political and run all over the musical spectrum. The EP's opener, "Assimilated," has a thrashy quality and reminds me of The Gits. That's immediately followed by "The Grift of Grief," which is just about as heavy and complex as pop punk can get, with some giant gang vocals. "Dire Straights" is at the very least hardcore adjacent, and "Still Here" sounds like it has roots in ska-punk. Heard It All Before is a wildly diverse release while still sounding like it's all from the same band. Breaking Up have the potential to become a favorite around here. You can listen to Heard It All Before here. The EP is available now on Bandcamp . For more on Breaking Up, check out the band on Instagram and Facebo...

Photo by Melissa McLaughlin Bristler is the Asbury Park, NJ band consisting of members of Yawn Mower and Dana Why. Their latest single, "Crapshoot," recalls classic emo bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Jawbreaker, along with a bit of a sound similar to The Postal Service. It's just as indie rock as it is emo, and is a painfully lovely song. While their previous single, "Breakthroughs," was anthemic, "Crapshoot" is a slow burn song that feels smaller and more intimate, although it does get larger as it goes on. This is an intricate song that brings classic sounds into 2026 in such a perfect way. Lead singer/songwriter Rudy Meier says of the band's latest single: “ I was on tour somewhere in the Midwest, likely intoxicated, depressed, and ruminating over whether I had made the right decision following a musician’s path. I think the sentiment extends even toward non musicians, but anyone who’s been broke and sweating in the dead of summer in Wisco...

Photo courtesy of the artist Two of the highlights of the 2026 Green River Festival were sets from Esther Rose and Angela Autumn, and now the two artists have released a duet together. "Numb" bridges the gap between modern folk pop and a more traditional style. I'm particularly enjoying how their two styles are mingling together in the song, with Rose's more modern, mainstream sound blending in with Autumn's more twangy, Appalachian sound. Having Rose and Autumn working together is a pairing we didn't know we needed, but the results have us longing for more from these two. "Numb" shows off two of our favorite Americana artists and how well they mesh together. Esther Rose says of the new single: “I’ve been a fan of Angela Autumn since the moment I saw the GemsOnVHS ‘Dancer’ video. When Angela released ‘Millionaire Money,’ it felt like she fully arrived as an artist. I reached out to her and asked if she wanted to try a co-write. I had written the blue...

Photo by Martine Carlson Ahmed Gallab (aka Sinkane) enlisted guitarist Mdou Moctar for the first single off his upcoming album. The album was written after the death of Gallab's father, and the songs reflect on grief, and combine Sudanese pop, East and West African music, and Brazilian and Caribbean influences. "So It Goes" is no exception, but the surprising thing is how mainstream and accessible the song is. It feels and sounds more like an electronic song with some pop influences, with the world music sounds sprinkled in. The beat is what drives "So It Goes" and makes the song completely irresistible. This is the type of song that is easily going to win over world music fans, pop fans, hip hop fans, and even rock fans by how great and diverse it is.  Sinkane says of his latest single: “After my father died, I found that strangely comforting. Maybe being gone doesn't mean every version of you is gone.  I wanted the song to feel like an East African psyched...

Photo by Braeden Long Chicago post-hardcore band ira glass are back with a new single, and buckle up for this one. "mister magnanimous" starts off with a nearly minute long burst of noise, chaos, and growly screaming. After that, it mellows out a bit, but not fully. While the volume and noise might settle down, the intensity of the song certainly does not. It threatens to explode into even more chaos, which it does. "mister magnanimous" isn't going to be for everyone, and I can't imagine that ira glass would be offended by that statement. But, if you love noisy, chaotic, experimental guitar rock, you've just discovered a new favorite. You can watch the video for "mister magnanimous" below. The single is out now on Fire Talk Records. For more on ira glass, check out the artist on Instagram . Upcoming live dates are below the video. Thu. Nov. 12 - Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo Fri. Nov. 13 - Toronto, ON @ Houndstooth Sat. Nov. 14 - Kalamazoo, MI...

Photo by Troy Ezequiel Montes Houston sound artist, emcee, and trumpet player JAWWAAD has a new single out, and we can definitely say that no one is mixing jazz and hip hop quite like him. "Color Theory" features vocals from John Robinson. The song also blends in electronic elements and some shades of indie rock noise to create a smooth yet chaotic sound. The guitar reminds me of some of the more dissonant solos from Parliament/Funkadelic, and make this one of the more intense jazz meets hip hop songs we've ever covered. This is more on the experimental/improvisational side of the genre, and JAWWAAD has a truly special sound with "Color Theory." You can listen to "Color Theory" below. Myth & Logic is due out November 13 on Sonic Transmissions and Sound Mind Body Labs, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on JAWWADD, check out the artist on Instagram . Upcoming live dates are below the song. Nov 18 - THE ELDORADO BALLROOM - Hous...

Photo by Jeremy Cohen Shane Butler of Quilt and Olden Yolk has a solo album due next month, and if you enjoy the music of his other bands, chances are you're going to like his new single, "Devotee." This is a slice of slightly off-kilter folk pop that has roots in traditional folk and modern indie folk. I think that's what makes this song so intriguing is that it never quite commits to any subgenre of Americana or folk and simply makes its own way throughout the different styles. At times it's a more mainstream, singer-songwriter track, and at others it's a borderline experimental, art-folk song. It does this so subtly that it can easily appeal to all folk fans, and even the majority of music fans.  Shane Butler says of his latest single: “My mother left home at 18 after she met a spiritual teacher and moved into a commune, a place  she lived for over 25 years. It was where I was raised. It was a great place for us, but I’ve still  always wondered what her lif...