If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Jimmy Del Ponte Viruette have become one of the more interesting bands to come out of Boston in the last few years. Their latest single, "SWAYA," is a kind of jerky sounding punk that is also filled with melody and is surprisingly laid back. At times the song borders right on being a pop song, but it's just a little too unique and quirky for that. It's a perfect example of a song being both discordant and beautiful at the same time, with much of a beauty taking over throughout. "SWAYA" ends up being a fun, pretty, laid back, and undeniably dance friendly song. Seriously, you don't want to sleep on Viruette. They are quickly becoming a local favorite. Frontman Harry Burgess says of the new single: “It’s a song about being awed in the presence of  arresting beauty, and the dynamic of perceiving it in  the moment. We’ve tended to write songs about  reckoning with the complexities of heightened  moments - this one’s about luxuriating in one,  playfu...

It feels crazy to write this, but it's 2026 and we have new music from The Dambuilders. The Boston alt-rock legends have released a reworking of their 1994 single "Shrine" and a new b-side, "I Hope We're Not Too Late." The band reformed in 2025 with two new members, guitarist Sean Eden of Luna and violinist Claudia Chopek of Bright Eyes and Father John Misty. "Shrine 2026" doesn't change too much from the original except it has some modern production, but still sounds like it could have been released in 2026, and is guaranteed to give you some serious mid-90's 120 Minutes flashbacks. "I Hope We're Not Too Late" is the more mellow of the two songs while still sounding like it belongs in The Dambuilders' catalog. This would be the VH1/Adult Contemporary version of the classic Boston rockers' sound, and I mean that as a good thing. This is one of the most underrated bands from the 90's Boston alt-rock boom, and we...

My expectations for Monday night's Tigers Jaw show were fairly high, possibly too high. I missed Something in the Way Festival on Saturday, but their set that day was the talk of Sunday. All day I kept hearing people talk about how great they were, so I instantly wanted to check them out next time they came through the area. Luckily I didn't have to wait that long since they played The Sinclair on Monday night. Tigers Jaw's set started off good. Really good, but not quite the level of great I was expecting. I was enjoying it, but thought they might have been more than a little overhyped. And then the third song, "Head is Like a Sinking Stone," kicked in, and suddenly I fully understood the hype. From there my casual fandom multiplied, and I was completely invested in the show. The crowd erupted for virtually every song, and after they played "Never Saw It Coming," it was an all out frenzy for the band. As a (formerly) non-diehard fan, I was surprised by ...

Photo by Kristin Sollecito Montreal art-punk collective La Sé curit é  have a brand new single out that we think you're going to love. "Snack City" is a hyperactive and ridiculously fun ode to food. It's more than a little quirky, and if we had to put a label on it we'd go with post-punk, but there is a lot going on in this one. It kind of sounds like Bodega and DEVO jamming on a Weird Al song, which is apparently my new favorite genre of music. "Snack City" is the perfect antidote to the chin-stroking rock snob, because I don't think anyone can resist the party that La S é curit é  have given us with their latest song. Get away from other people for the next three minutes and dance your heart out. We could all use a song like "Snack City" these days. The band says of their latest single: “We wrote the song when we were hungry.  The segment ‘J'ai faim, j'ai faim, [...],’ which translates to: ‘I’m hungry, I’m hungry, [...]’ was the b...

Photo courtesy Smitt E. Smitty Boston garage and art-rockers Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones return with a new single. "Big Ass American Car" is a killer track originally done by Trick Williams that brings the weirdo art vibe to garage rock. It's the kind of song that has all of the elements of a straightforward garage rock song, but that wouldn't exactly be the Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones' way. It's a little dark, a little funny, and all rock and roll. If I had to compare "Big Ass American Car" to any other artist, it would be Frank Zappa's songs that made it on Dr. Demento. "Big Ass American Car" is a fun song that takes a biting look at American culture in the form of a kick ass rock song. Smitt E. Smitty says of his band's latest single: “‘Big Ass American Car’ is a song about the culture of cars in America, and the American culture in general. When the popularity of American-made cars started to diminish between the...

Photo by Steph Reid Naarm/Melbourne artist Tilly Vickers Willis has a new single out that is going to be a must listen for many of you. "Aching Never Leaves" is the type of song title that you already know you'll love before even pressing play. The press release for the song describes it as "Portishead-reminiscent," and we certainly can't argue with that. While the song does have some elements of classic trip hop, it has a much more organic sound. It feels like the artist is including some pieces of jazz and even bits of folk into the song's sound. "Aching Never Leaves" is a mesmerizing song and gets even more so the deeper into it that you get. We're looking forward to bringing you more new music from Tilly Vickers Willis hopefully sooner than later. Tilly Vickers Willis says of her latest single: “It's written in the moment of grief, from the perspective of someone who's really in it. They're trying to hold onto that, to stay ...

Los Angeles' Black Nile continue their mission to bring jazz into the current century with their latest single. "Skyrim" was inspired by the iconic video game, and actually kind of sounds like video game music. Jazz and video game music have always been connected, but never quite like "Skyrim." It helps elevate video game music to the next level, and also makes an artform normally considered stodgy kind of fun. This one is completely different from the previous singles we've brought to you from Black Nile, but they all help make jazz more accessible to music fans overall. Lawrence Shaw says of his band's latest single: "We love video games. Me and Aaron have different sides of what we like and tend to gravitate to. I'm more fantasy MMORPG, so you can guess 'Skyrim' is me for sure. I grew up on RuneScape and World of Warcraft, and those play a part in my jazz upbringing, if you will, because again, I'm such an auditory listener. I lis...

Photo by Dave Mante The Melmacs have quickly become our favorite punky power pop band from Dresden, Germany, and they've released one last single before their album comes out next week. We do have one complaint about "Lazy Hearts." It might just be too catchy. I've spent the entire day with "All the lazy boys, all the lazy girls" stuck in my head. Luckily, it's a great power pop track, so it's been an enjoyable earworm. This is a bouncy and catchy track that goes into the pop side of power pop, but with exactly the right amount of a punk edge to keep it from being too pop. The new album from The Melmacs is one of our most highly anticipated for next month, and "Lazy Hearts" will show you exactly why. You can listen to "Lazy Hearts" below. Euphancholia is due out April 10 on Spaghetty Town Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The Melmacs, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .

Photo by Jackie Freeman Vermont's Robber Robber are primarily a post-punk band, but their upcoming album sees them moving their sound in new directions. Their latest single, "New Year's Eve," is a bizarre song that wanders in whatever direction it sees fit. The sound has the kind of danceable beat a lot of post-punk has, but there's also a strong pop (albeit an odd version of pop) along with hip hop elements. Plus, the guitars are straight up mid 90's alt-rock. "New Year's Eve" is the kind of song that's going to elicit strong reactions. Listeners will either love or hate it, but while those that love it are going to love it more with each listen, even those that initially hate it might get won over if they give it a second or third try. Robber Robber are a surprisingly addictive band. Nina Cates (vocals/guitar) says of the band's latest single: “Some of our songs start out as the four of us jamming together and this one was like that....

When you name a song "I'm Having Difficulty Controlling My Bloodlust," I'm at least going to give it a listen or two. Luckily, this one is by Nicholas Burgess, one of the most criminally underrated artists in Boston. Burgess' Halloween releases are legendary around here, and while "I'm Having Difficulty Controlling My Bloodlust" isn't a pure Halloween song, it's certainly not too far of a stretch if you want it to be. This one is a on the alt-rock side, with some meandering into the worlds of metal and grunge. This one is loud and fun, and if you like huge rock songs about bloodlust and videos of devil's shaking their asses, you're gonna love this one. You can watch the video for "I'm Having Difficulty Controlling My Bloodlust" below. The song is available now via Bandcamp . For more on Nicholas Burgess, check out the artist's website .

2026 marks the twentieth anniversary of Handz Up Management, and to celebrate they're releasing a new compilation, Milton Bradley. The first single off of the compilation is "What the Stove Say," which is a collaboration between Boldy James and MC Serch. (Boldy James was Handz Up's first breakout artist and Serch has been an advisor for the company.) This new song is a killer, chilled out hip hop track. It's modern hip hop with roots in the genre's golden era. Plus, we're going to be ecstatic every time we can hear MC Serch take a verse in a new track. It's a great collaboration between one of our old school favorites and a newer favorite.  You can listen to "What the Stove Say" below. Milton Bradley is due out April 10 on Handz Up Recordings. For more on Boldy James, check out the artist on Instagram . MC Serch can be found here .

Photo by Rick Perez According to the press release, the latest single from Integra Pink blends "... cumbia rhythms, disco grooves, punk energy, and hardcore intensity." "Spiderman Piñ ata" has a strong groove throughout, and is impossibly dance friendly. This one is a great song that is going to get immediately stuck in your mind, which you'll fully welcome. Not many artists can combine cumbia, punk, and disco into a single song and have it come out this well, but Integra Pink pull it off perfectly. The lyrics take on the current ICE situation in the United States, making this the most groove heavy anti-ICE song of all time. That is, until the end when the band's punk side takes over and "Spiderman Pi ñ ata" turns into a hardcore anthem. Integra Pink says of their latest single: "'Spiderman Piñata' is a song that takes inspiration from different places.  We love punk but we also love cumbias and disco and pop. So we tried to find a way...

Worcester alt-rock duo Sunday Junkie have released a new single that once again changes up their sound in an intriguing way. "Wasted Embers" is a relatively laid back song that edges the band's sound into power ballad territory. It keeps the post-rock meets prog sound we've come to love from them, just in a quieter, more ballad-esque way. This one is giving us some serious The Mars Volta vibes, and it's hitting this great spot between dissonance and beauty. Plus, it's shockingly catchy, particularly the chorus. Get your lighter out, and crank up "Wasted Embers." You can listen to "Wasted Embers" below. The single is available now on Bandcamp . For more on Sunday Junkie, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . Wasted Embers by Sunday Junkie

The 2025 winners of Americana Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards are back with a new EP. Last Friday saw Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners release Moonshine & Other Spirits , a collection of three original songs and two covers. The songs that make up the EP are a perfect mixture of rock and country/folk without ever truly choosing one over the other. The opening track, "My Baby's Happy," features Elisa Smith and sounds like the Rolling Stones' experimentations into country while keeping their bluesier sound. "Impossible" sounds like if The Clash went country. The other original track, "Make Me Wanna Dance (Moonshine Shuffle)," gets closer to rockabilly than Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners have been before. For the covers, the band has gone with "Goin' Down in Style" from Robery Earl Kean and "Whitehouse Road" from Tyler Childers. Any time is a great time to jump on the Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burn...