If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Tim Hardiman The more I hear from The Animeros, the more I wish I had been able to check them out at this year's Green River Festival. The trio's latest single, "Descarga Royal," is a swirling psychedelic cumbia song just begging to be played live. Seriously, if you can listen to this one without moving a little, you might not have a soul. With virtually no lyrics, The Animeros completely captivate the listener/dancer with an irresistible groove and rhythms. As great as "Descarga Royal" is recorded, I can only imagine how much better it would be live. I'm sure we'll all be checking their tour dates for a (hopefully soon) return to New England. Nick Tozzo (drummer/percussionist) says of his band's new single:  "’Descarga Royal’ is a cover of a song by classic Peruvian band Los Royals de Pucallpa. Like all 'descargas,' this is an open jam that allowed The Animeros to explore some psychedelic solos and push the energy to the li...

Photo by Shannon Marks Chicago's Plum are a post-punk band that are more along the lines of The B-52's than the darker, noisier side of the genre. Their latest single, "Bodies in Motion," is a quirky and fun song that's a little too oddball to be any form of pop music. It demands that the listener dance, and you're going to want to comply. The song is still noisy, but it's pleasant and fun noisy instead of abrasive and aggressive noisy. It feels like classic songs from bands like Talking Heads and Gang of Four without sounding like it's four decades old. Plum take that classic sound and update it for 2026. "Bodies in Motion" keeps getting more and more fun with every listen. Vocalist/guitarist Jeff Kelly says of his band's latest single: "The lyrics stem from a dream I had; I woke up in the middle of the night and immediately expanded it into a short story. The idea is that a frequency starts being broadcast from every electronic dev...

I never knew how much I needed doom jazz in my life, but now that I've heard the new single from Enneads, I'm fully on board with the genre. The band consists of Zach Layton, Hamir Atwal, and Phyllis Chen. Much of the sound on "Metanoia" comes from a seventeen string electric bass and an amplified piano. This will completely deconstruct your idea of what jazz is, and it sounds more aligned with noise rock than I expected. "Metanoia" is delightfully experimental besides being considered doom. Enneads aren't going to be for everyone, but I highly doubt universal appeal is their end game. This is one of the most unique and interesting sounds we've covered this year and defies any of our genre expectations. Zach Layton says of his band's new single: "unusual instrumentation of 17 string electric bass with natural plucked string harmonics produced inside the lid of a grand piano and drums, 'chopped and screwed' - slowed down - to produce ...

Photo by Kimberly Ha Thao (formerly Thao and the Get Down Stay Down) has announced her first album in six years, and has released a fantastic new single that features guest vocals from Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards and The Linda Lindas. "Sick of the Times" is a protest song that only Thao could have released. It's a perfectly dance friendly song that sounds like it's both a club anthem and a folk song. It starts off simply enough, but more and more elements are slowly added as it goes on. Eventually the song becomes a chaotic swirling mess, which perfectly reflects how many of us feel with each and every passing day. "Sick of the Times" is the perfect way to dance through your anger, and what starts as a fun time eventually devolves into rage. Thao Nguyen says of her latest single: “I wanted it to be an anthem that will be used at political rallies, grass roots organizing and mutual aid events, anything that can help us emotionally prepare to activate and to ...

Photo by Jeff Fowler It's been twenty years since Dinosaur Jr's original line-up of J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph reunited, and the trio keep releasing killer music. Their latest single, "Blowin' Up," is a Lou Barlow penned and sung song. This song is interesting because it has that raw, almost DIY sound you expect in a Barlow song, but in a fully fleshed out rock tune that you expect from Dinosaur Jr. It may be mid-tempo, but "Blowin' Up" is a huge sounding song. Plus, as always, you get killer guitar from Mascis. Not many bands that formed four decades ago can be as captivating and sound as fresh as Dinosaur Jr, but the western Massachusetts indie rock veterans inexplicably keep pulling it off. You can listen to "Blowin' Up" below. There Near is due out August 28 on Jagjaguwar, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Dinosaur Jr, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. Thu. July 30 - Dave...

Lady Flash are an Osaka based indie pop band that was formed by nico fifteen years ago to win a university band contest based solely on wanting the cash prize. They came in second, and have just released a brand new single. "Titans Baby" is a dreamy slice of indie pop meets indie rock, probably landing more on the side of dream pop. At only two minutes long, the song will have you desperate for more. It's a little (or maybe a lot) noisier than you typically get in indie pop or dream pop, which just makes us love it even more. "Titans Baby" is wonderfully infectious, and you'll happily accept it as an earworm for the rest of the day. You can listen to "Titans Baby" below. For more on Lady Flash, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .

Photo by Layde Jane Vickers For his latest single, Twilark (aka Raleigh, NC musician Canon Pence) teams with Erin Rae for "Tired to Sleep." This latest single is a light version of his gothic folk/southern melancholy sound. If gothic folk could be mainstream, this would be it. Pence has a certain something in his vocals that is wildly compelling. "Tired to Sleep" is a relatively straightforward song, but whether it's his vocals or his delivery, you end up being fully sucked into Twilark's music. This is the kind of artist that has unlimited potential. "Tired to Sleep" is a great song, with wide appeal, and is interesting sounding enough to win over all fans of folk. Take a listen, and be sure to share it far and wide. Twilark deserves much more attention than we can provide. Canon Pence says of his latest single: "Perhaps unsurprisingly, this song was written while wallowing in a hangover, the lyrics reflecting this with darkness, humor, and s...

Photo by Anna Paul I've been on an unexpected 90's electronic music (or electronica, as we called it then) kick lately, so Spike has been a welcome discovery. The London synth pop artist has a new single out, "Event Horizon," that blends a lot of my favorite electronic styles. The song has a very DIY feel, which could be the synth pop element. While most electronic music is slick, "Event Horizon" has a gritty edge to it. It also has a beat closer to drum and bass, while the vocals and the overall vibe of the song is closer to trip-hop. Spike's sound blends multiple styles in a unique and thrilling way, and this latest single has us even more excited for her new album due on Friday! Hannah McLoughlin (aka Spike) says of her latest single: “An Event Horizon is the edge of a black hole known as 'the point of no return.' I used this to express how falling in love deeply can feel like a scary leap into the unknown. I made this song shortly after a nig...

Photo courtesy of Diane Philadelphia gloom band Bruise Bath have a new single out that is a must listen for those of us with an appreciation for the darker side of music. "Blood On My Tongue" follows the indie rock loud/quiet/loud format, but with a more sludgy sound than you might normally expect. A lot of people are going to see that I'm calling this song beautiful, but a lot of you will understand why I'm saying that. The song is hypnotic at times, lulling you into a sense of calm... and then the song bursts into something much noisier and more forceful. If you appreciate artists like Slint, you're going to enjoy "Blood On My Tongue." Something tells me you'll be hearing more from Bruise Bath here. You can listen to "Blood On My Tongue" below. Bruise Bath's self-titled album is due out November 6 on Strange Mono Records. For more on the band, check out the band on Instagram . They'll be playing July 31 at O'Brien's in Bos...

Photo by Danny Clinch I don't know about you, but my social media feeds have been filled with videos of Tom Morello's epic return to the Newport Folk Festival this past weekend. In the wake of that, he's announced a new solo album and has a new single out. "Date Night" tells the amazing true story of three Dutch girls (Truus and Freddie Oversteegen and Hannie Schaft who smuggled weapons and helped Jewish children during World War II. Most famously, they seduced Nazi officers and lured them to the woods where they were killed. Musically, "Date Night" doesn't sound like any of Morello's previous releases. It's more of a hard rock sound with elements of metal, punk, and hip hop. That might sound like it's exactly like Rage Against the Machine, but Morello has found a new sound that is related but not a sequel to RATM. It also sounds immediate and urgent, even without the subject matter. We're always thrilled to hear what Morello is up to...

Artist : Josaleigh Pollett Album : If I Let it Quiet Quick Thoughts : Josaleigh Pollett had my favorite album of 2023 , and there are several songs from that record, three years later, that remain in heavy rotation. I'm not going to say, after a few days, that If I Let It Quiet is better, but I am obsessed nonetheless. On what is functionally their third fuill-length collaboration with Jordan Watko / Crowd Shy, it's incredible to see Pollett's songwriting and presentation leap forward from album to album. The lush electronics underpinning so many of these songs are perfect : the ambient bed below "Cherry" feels like a sequel to "YKWIM," "Bed of Quiet" incorporates some Chris Walla guitar work for some modern crunch, "The Witness" trades Pollett's understated, lower-register vocals with a truly full sound behind their lyrics, and even lead single "Radio Player" feels whole and complete as it builds toward its end....

Photo by Ashley Gellman "Heavy Metal" might be my favorite of Madi Diaz's songs, and she's released a new version of it from her upcoming UN-unplugged edition of last year's phenomenal Fatal Optimist. The original version is just Diaz and her guitar, and the re-worked version includes drums and Lucy Dacus singing backup vocals and taking on a verse. Even with the added elements, "Heavy Metal (UN-unplugged)" feels more raw and stripped down than the original. The emotions of the song are heightened, and Diaz has added something extra special to an already deeply emotional song. We've long been confounded that Diaz isn't one of the most popular artists of her generation, and this version of "Heavy Metal" only helps prove us correct. Madi Diaz says of her latest single: “Doesn’t Lucy Dacus just sound like Frank Sinatra with a velvet cape and gloves on? I could listen to her verse in my ears on repeat. I was so honored when she agreed to ad...

New York City power pop group Joy Buzzer have released a cover of The Beatles' 1966 classic "She Said, She Said." This new version of the song remains rather true to the original, with some flourishes. Joy Buzzer have increased the fuzz and psychedelia of The Beatles' version. It's still instantly recognizable as the Revolver tune, but it sounds a bit more like Sgt Pepper 's Beatles with psych-friendly guitar solos, and an increase in vocal harmonies. It's a fun cover song that stays true to the original while adding just enough of their own sound to it. Joy Buzzer say of their new cover: "'She Said, She Said' feels like a natural fit for us because so much of what we love about power pop is already there in the song.  The hooks, the guitars, the momentum—we just wanted to push it louder and bring our own energy to it. It's incredible how easily a song from 1966 can still feel immediate when you turn everything up." You can listen to ...

Photo by Levi Price Slothrust continues to be great. Their latest single, "Ring the Bell," is a perfect example of what they do. It's mainstream alt-rock that borders (or crosses the border into) pop music. But they always do it in a way that keeps the indie snobs happy. This latest single is catchy, it's heavy and melodic, and it's about as danceable as rock music can get. As always with a Slothrust song, there can be debate as to if they're truly rock or more pop music, but when a song is this great, does it really matter? "Ring the Bell" shows one of the most underrated bands out there today at their peak. You're all gonna end up loving this one. Leah Wellbaum and Will Godin say of their latest single: " We really want people to take away a message from this album of self-liberation amidst the flickers of seemingly inescapable dread.  Despite the permeating blue light of the external world, it is still possible to find your freedom and id...