If It's Too Loud...

Photo courtesy Today Junior Today Junior are an indie fuzz-punk band out of Boston. They have a new single out today, and it's the kind of song that makes me wish local modern rock radio still existed. "Keep On Pushing Me" has such great crossover potential. The song is layered in fuzz and perfectly jangly, with vocal melodies that creep right on the mainstream while still having a punk element. This is punk that insists you dance. Not just mosh or pogo, but actual dancing. Considering "Keep On Pushing Me" is about how the entire world seems to be collapsing with government overreach and the constantly ballooning of the cost of living, the song is shockingly upbeat. Of course, a song with that subject matter probably should be the Song of the Summer in 2026... Today Junior day of their latest single: “To us, it’s about not giving up when it feels like you are being pushed off the path you’re trying to achieve. It’s about being resilient and having determination ...

Painting by Robert Smith; Design by Derek Smith We've grown accustomed to the folk and psychedelia leaning sounds of Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures, but on their latest, the Boston band moves into a different sound. "Lady Bathory" is still steeped in psychedelia, and there are elements of Americana in the song, but this is more of an alt-rock track. It's much heavier than we're used to hearing from them while still sounding like a Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures track. This isn't so much a complete left turn into a new sound as it is an expansion on what we love from them. For someone as prolific as Smith is, he keeps releasing fantastic new music. Derek Smith says of his band's latest single: “The song is about confusion. We have come to the point on this planet where we don’t know what’s real or fake anymore. We can’t trust anything we see or hear. Everything is a fucking lie.”  You can listen to "Lady Bathory" below. For more on Derek...

Photo by Travis Gillett While touring with Built to Spill, Melanie Radford began going on long walks through cities and neighborhoods, making field recordings as she walked. Those field recordings became the basis for her upcoming solo album with melodies and rythyms being built based on the recordings. Her latest single, "Philadelphia," has its field recording taken behind Union Transfer in Philadelphia. The song is a stunning ambient folk track that commands attention by being so quiet. Despite being so quiet, the song has a certain tension to it based on the drone building behind Radford's vocals and bass. It can work on the level of being just a good song to listen to, and it also works on being an experimental piece of art. "Philadelphia" is a unique and engaging track, and we're thrilled to bring it to you. You can watch the video for "Philadelphia" below. For the Sake of Stillness is due out June 26 on Jealous Butcher Records, and is availab...

Vulture Twin are a duo out of Chapel Hill, NC featuring Elizabeth Vallero (vocals, guitar) and Eddie Sanchez (drums, bass, synthesizer), who used to be in The Love Language and Fing Fang Foom. They recently released a three song self-titled EP that's going to be loved by fans of 90's indie rock, particularly the North Carolina scene. The songs have a noisy and drone-y quality to them, with a lo-fi element that is decidedly a feature of the songs. Plus, all three tracks are heavy on psychedelia, which is only aided by the use of synthesizers. Maybe it's because I've been listening to a lot of Fiery Furnaces in anticipation of their show in Somerville, but I'm getting vibes of a trippier version of that band. Vulture Twin knocked it out of the park on their debut release, and we can't wait to hear more from them. You can listen to Vulture Twin's new EP below. It's out now on Fort Lowell Records, and is available via Bandcamp . For more on Vulture Twin, che...

Photo by Swan Studio According to the press release, "The music of Leenalchi is taken from pansori , a traditional Korean style of musical storytelling that tells epic tales of love, virtue, and sorrow." The Seoul based band has a new single out, and it's one of the most unique sounds we've heard in a while. "Bird" is a simple and complex track that (as far as Western sounds go) mixes indie rock, pop, hip hop, and R&B. This is one of those rare times that I can't compare a band or song to another artist. "Bird" has such a unique sound, even though it has some roots in music you already love. As soon as you listen to this song (repeatedly), you'll be joining us in a deep dive into Leenalchi's catalog.  You can watch the video for "Bird" below. Here Comes That Crow is due out June 12 on Luaka Bop. For more on Leenalchi, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include an October 31 dat...

Photo by Mike TD Before taking the stage this Saturday at the New England Americana Festival, Jennifer Tefft & The Strange have a new single out. "Silver" is an alt-rocker with more than a few roots in Americana. It's a monster of a song that sounds like it could have been a huge hit back in the 90's. It lives in that range that it could have worked on both modern rock radio and Adult Contemporary (although it might be a little too rockin' for AC radio...) "Silver" feels and sounds like a mini epic, and it's practically begging to be screamed along to at a live show. This song will grab you instantly, and dig its claws into you more and more as it goes on. Jennifer Tefft says of her band's latest single: “This song started out being about the absurdity of the current world and then evolved into also being about the general absurdity of life in general and my life in specific. I don’t really want to specify too much beyond that, as I’d like th...

Photo by Sarah Jaben Hailing from Kansas City, Radkey have one of the more unique sounds out there today. The trio's latest single, "Ready to Burn," is rooted in punk, but it's almost too melodic for that label. Sure, the music has some of the dirtiest guitars out there, but there is a sheen that coats the entire song. There is an edge throughout, even though the song is bouncy and ridiculously fun. It's kind of like if early Weezer and Fountains of Wayne joined forces on a punk song. "Ready to Burn" is as catchy as it is heavy, and it's overflowing with both sides. Radkey says of their latest single: “We were thinking a lot about fun live songs for this record.  We got the idea for this bouncy sing along type song about being a nostalgic nerd growing up on the road. Staying up watching movies, playing video games and writing about the things that we love. We got a lot of fun references in there. Pillars of Eternity covers our love for the Obsidian R...

Photo by Steph Larsen We've been fans of Boston's TIFFY for a while now, but Tiffany Sammy has something wonderfully special with her latest single. Besides featuring Sadie Dupuis (Sad13, Speedy Ortiz) on guitar, "IRB" takes her 90's inspired indie rock goes pop sound and mixes it with some 60's girl group melodies. This song is a delight, with everything mixing together in a way that feels both familiar and completely fresh at the same time. This is the kind of song that's even going to make the descendants of Puritans who occupy the Boston live music scene start dancing. Everything about "IRB" is infectious, and you're going to thank us for this one being stuck in your head for the next week or so. Tiffany Sammy says of her band's latest single: “I wrote this when I felt very burnt out by playing music and being in a band. There’s that saying ‘Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life’ well that’s ju...

Photo by Rich Ferri If you've been a fan of Deer Tick since their early years, you're going to love their latest single. "Dog Years" shows the Providence band getting back to their alt-country roots. It starts off with just John McCauley's guitar and vocals, and the song would go down as one of their best even if it stayed that way. Then the rest of Deer Tick kicks in, and the song is elevated. It keeps their classic country rock sound, even as the song slowly evolves into their more recent, larger sound. "Dog Years" even includes a horn section, and by the time it's done, it's going to be one of your all-time favorites from one of our all-time favorite bands. John McCauley says of his band's latest single, which is about an assisted living facility near his childhood home: “The main character of ‘Dog Years’ is based on the guys I used to watch playing chess outside that building or hanging out at the bus stop, smoking cigarettes and shooting...

Photo by Alexis Keyes Sad Daddy, the Americana group consisting of Joe Sundell, Melissa Carper, Rebecca Patek, and Brian Martin, have returned with a new single. "Bootlegger" is a great folk and country song. It's a song highlighted with banjo and fiddle, along with the vocal harmonies of the band. It's just about as traditional as you can get, with a slightly modern twist. The true magic of Sad Daddy is how they always seem to sound like four friends hanging out in a cabin or by a fire and playing music for the fun of it. This is music that is going to be made no matter what, simply out of the love of making and playing. Brian Martin (songwriter, guitar, and kazoo) says of the band's new single: “I had a melody and a couple of verses for this song collecting dust in the archives of ideas for over a decade. After running it with the band, the direction the song needed to go sorta revealed itself and came together pretty quickly from that point.” You can listen to ...