If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Guillaume Landry Crimson99 is the musical name of Dominican-Canadian artist Maria Brousseau-Labbe. Her latest single, "Open Up Your Heart," combines indie rock with alt-pop, and is heavy on the pop side of things. The song showcases her vocals, which while being soulful and smooth, also have the slightest bit of grit that helps suck you in and elevates the song to the next level. What's the most compelling about "Open Up Your Heart" is how it moves through musical styles. It starts off more in the pop range with some folky elements, and ends in a whirlwind of an indie rock goes bluesy burst. It happens to gradually that you barely notice, and the transition feels completely natural. Crimson99 is making pop music that borders right on the mainstream while keeping things truly interesting. Maria Brousseau-Labbe says of her latest single: "Open Up Your Heart is about the desire to backslide. It’s about missing things from your past that never truly se...

Photo by Pooneh Ghana Austin, TX's Font stay very local with their latest single. "Texas" was inspired by the Kerr County floods in 2025 and 2026. The song is a melodic and heartbreaking track that is quietly beautiful. The song is almost painfully quiet with electronic elements that help propel the song and suck in a listener. Even without knowing that "Texas" is about floods that killed well over one hundred people, the pain in the song is evident. It's not all gloom in their latest, though, as Font have added just enough hope in the song to keep it from being too painful for the average listener. It's been a few years since we last brought you anything new from Font, and we're thrilled to have them back. Thom Waddil says of his band's latest song: “Pretty much everyone I know from home was just one or two degrees away from someone who lost a loved one in the flood. So the state was on our minds when we came up with the initial idea together in...

The Catburgers were a band from Edinburgh, Scotland that lasted from 1985 to 1990. They recorded an album, but it was never released. That changes on September 25 when Slumberland releases Galashiels. The first single from the album, "The First Day of Spring," is a perfect slice of 1980's indie pop, or what would have been called college rock back then. It's a bouncy track that's both melodic and slightly discordant. This is the kind of music that lead to Belle & Sebastian and The Sundays, and is going to inject you with nostalgia even if you've never heard of The Catburgers before. If you have a love for fuzzy indie pop of the late 80's/early 90's, "The First Day of Spring" is going to be perfect for you. The band says of their "new" single: "Dave, our new guitarist, has described this as the most complicated 2 minute 15 second song he has ever had to learn! Stuart and I went through a period of working up bits of songs an...

Photo by Angeline Woo, Courtesy of Luaka Bop "Tiger Is Coming" might sound familiar to some of you. It was used in promotional videos for South Korea's national tourist board, and it was played when South Korea's national team scored a goal in the World Cup. Now, Leenalchi have re-recorded it with their current line up. The Seoul based band have created a psychedelic masterpiece here. It's delightfully dance friendly while remaining laid back. Like their previous single "Crying Softshell Turtle," "Tiger Is Coming" comes from an eighteenth century Korean epic about "... a loyal turtle on a mission that runs into a fierce tiger and chaos ensues." Despite coming from three centuries ago, this new single feels and sounds modern. Plus, this is simply a fun song that I challenge anyone not to enjoy. You can listen to "Tiger Is Coming" below. Sugungga is due out October 2 on Luaka Bop, and is available for pre-order here . For more...

Photo by Pooneh Ghana Austin, TX's Porcelain have been blowing us away as of late, and their latest single continues that trend. "Waltz" is equal parts beautiful and discordant. It's post-hardcore at its finest, and bounces between gorgeous and loud and noisy. For a lot of loud/quiet/loud songs, you're just waiting for the loud part, but you'll end up enjoying both parts with "Waltz." This one reminds me of early Smashing Pumpkins meets Rites of Spring, with how it manages both volumes equally well. Porcelain have crafted a song that is fuzzy and sludgy, and just wait until you get to the last minute or so. "Waltz" becomes an absolute epic by that point. Porcelain says of their latest single: “ This song is about trying to relate with someone who is going through a depressive episode, to help them feel seen and that they’re not alone. Depression can be isolating; it can consume you in a way that makes you feel unrelatable to everyone around...

We don't normally do posts for individual shows, but sometimes we feel the need to make sure you're aware of upcoming events.  Bikini Kill Photo by Lance Bangs First is Bikini Kill returning to Roadrunner on September 22. I was in attendance for their 2023 show at Roadrunner, and it was even better than I imagined. It was my first time seeing the riot grrrl legends, and there was something about seeing those songs live that was much more emotional than I expected. (I'm sure some of it was the heightened emotions coming out of COVID, too...) This time around they'll be joined by Providence political punks Downtown Boys, and how can you say no to that double bill? You can find more on this show here .  Photo by Robert Fagan October 26 sees L7's  The Last Hurrah Tour come to Boston. It's L7's farewell tour, and their first since bassist Jennifer Finch's tragic death earlier this year. You never know how final farewell tours actually are, but L7 has never se...

...and a bit of July, but don't tell anyone. Artist : Cheekface Album : Podium Quick Thoughts : Cheekface is prolific, unique in their sound, and still somehow puts out winner after winner. This album actually does mess with the blueprint a bit, with some different vocal choices and some sonic additions (like the record scratches in "Hostile Street"). Overall, though? Another great listen from your favorite local band. Songs of Note : "Hostile Street," "MFT," "Black Site, "U Can't Do It," "I Decline" Artist : Homeboy Sandman and Jack Splash Album : Resonance Frequency Quick Thoughts : I generally enjoy what Homeboy Sandman does, but this collaborative listen is likely to become one of my favorites of his catalog. Lots of interesting samples compliment his flow perfectly and it creates a really fun album that's worth your time. Songs of Note : "TWENTYFOURSEVEN," "Weed Stores Everywhere,...

Photo by Renee Cornue Studios The good news is that we're getting a new album from Providence's Jake Blount in two weeks! The bad news is that it will be his last string album before he starts a new project in 2027. The first single from his upcoming album, "Shady Grove," is a masterful traditional folk track. This is vintage Appalachian music, and shows how great Blount is it this style. It will be great to hear him expand on a new sound in the near future, and Single-Footing Horse is a great way to hear him play the style of music that made us fans years ago. The fiddle work in "Shady Grove" is fantastic, and fans of roots music are going to be blown away by this one.  Jake Blount says of his latest single: "This version of Shady Grove is adapted from one played by Jon Bekoff of Greenfield, MA. I didn't get to meet him before he died, but Jon was a major influence on many of my own mentors. His tunes are queer and full of mystery, and his version ...