If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Magesta Putra J. Based in Jakarta, Much have released "Pendar," their first Indonesian language single, and their first new music in five years. "Pendar" is a beautiful and jangly burst of alternative rock, sounding like if The Sundays wrote an arena ready power ballad. It's wonderfully jangly, with one of the best fuzzed out guitar solos of the year. Seriously, every time you think the solo is ending, it keeps going and gets more and more epic. Despite my comparison to The Sundays, "Pendar" doesn't really sound like anything from the 90's. It's a sound that may be inspired by that decade, but Much's latest is fully modern in sound. This one represents the poppier side of alt-rock, and you're going to love them for this. You can watch the video for "Pendar" below. The single is out now on Guerilla Records, and can be purchased through Bandcamp . For more on Much, check out the band on Instagram .

As someone who's seen Battlemode a few times in the past year, "SW33TTOOTH" has been a highlight of every one of their live shows. Now, the Boston based chiptune band has officially released it as a single, their first on Lonely Ghost Records. It's a beautiful dance song, which doesn't sound possible considering Battlemode's music is Gameboy based, but they pull it off surprisingly well. It's a fun song demanding that you dance to it. It's quite a feat since it's a sentimental song "dedicate to the lost fathers of Battlemode." I can't think of any artist that can make a beautiful and touching song dedicated to their late fathers that's also full of this much joy and fun. Plus, "SW33TTOOTH" rocks harder than any previous Battlemode single. You can listen to "SW33TTOOTH" below. The single is out now on Lonely Ghost Records. For more on Battemode, check out the band's website . If you're looking for someth...

When I first heard "Cow Song" back in June, I was instantly enamored with The New Eves. I was afraid that the rest of the songs wouldn't be able to compare to the first single, but as each single was released, I became more and more excited for the release of The New Eve is Rising.  One thing for sure is that this album is not going to be for everyone, and that's perfectly okay. It starts off with the psychedelic freak out "The New Eve," which seems more like a mission statement than a song. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, and then you truly get in with "Highway Man." This one is more of a danceable psych-folk/indie rocker, and it's how you're going to know if The New Eve is Rising is going to be for you.  There are so many elements to The New Eves' music, while the songs still have this almost primal and basic vibe to them. They have that rawness of The Stooges, but instead of being protopunk, this is more of a freak folk s...

When it comes to things that are not music, a pathway to my heart usually involves "put a cult on it." I'm not saying that The New Eves are a cult, but they bring big cult energy in a way we haven't seen since The Polyphonic Spree, and I think that's why this album ultimately appealed to me so much. It's folk-punk, first and foremost. Not the sort of speed guitar, grungy DIY type, but punk in attitude. They're the girls your farmer mother warned you about. They're the ones where you wonder where they emerged from, and what made them this way. It's conceptual, yet it's not--I'd perhaps go as far as to say that this might be among the more genuine listens this year. I can't really frame it better than that. Either you get what they're doing, or you don't, and if you do you're amazed and if you aren't, well... I'm not saying they're going to hex you but they might hex you. If The Wicker Man w...

Rapper, singer, producer, musician, OG Lowell music scene supporter, and holder of probably a dozen other titles D-Tension has a new Christmas single out. "Broke for Christmas" is a honky tonk style country song about being broke for Christmas. It's a fun song that takes on a pretty serious struggle many are going through this year. It sucks you in with humor, and while the song is truly funny all the way through, the listener is going to be left thinking of how rough this particular Christmas is for many of our fellow people. I believe this might be D-Tension's first foray into country, and he totally nails it.  You can listen to "Broke for Christmas" below. The song is available via Bandcamp . For more on D-Tension, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . Broke For Christmas by D-Tension

Our favorite Cambridgeshire garage punks are back with a new single just in time for the holidays. "I Will Panic if I Want to Shirley" isn't exactly a Christmas song, but it does take place at Christmas, so we're counting it. This new song is a noisy mid-tempo track filled with harmonies about how stressful this time of year can be. The song is dripping with menace and The Baby Seals' trademark humor. If anything, the harmonies seem to be used to help keep the chaos within the song at a minimum until it no longer can, which also fits the theme of the song. Last year's Chaos was one of my favorites of the year, so we're thrilled to see The Baby Seals continue to make killer music. Front woman Kerry says of the band's latest single: “... The song’s about something that happened to our drummer, Amy. She’s autistic, and that can sometimes lead to confrontations or misunderstandings with strangers. Just before Christmas last year, she took her car in for it...

It always sounds like hyperbole when I say it, but there simply isn't a talent out there like Ezra Furman. It's nearly impossible to fit the Boston artist's new album into one, or even ten, genres. Goodbye Small Head is a collection of twelve songs that meander through different styles and sounds, all while still sounding like they belong together. That's probably why Furman gets labelled a singer-songwriter so much. No other description even comes close to her sound. Throughout the album, you get indie rock, folk, pop, electronic music, punk, and many more styles. Plus, there's something so unique about how Furman structures a song. Every song feels so immediate and vulnerable. Goodbye Small Head is one of the most intimate albums I've ever heard, which fits right in with Furman's style. This is a fantastic release by one of the best out there. Songs of note: "Grand Mal," "Jump Out," "Power of the Moon," and "Veil Song...

Ken mentioned in his post about McKinley Dixon's record that rap fans had a lot to love this year, and he was right. Three of my top 10 albums this year are rap albums, which 2006 Jeff would be incredibly confused about. Best of the lot, though, was clipping., who offered the latest masterclass in what has been a truly epic run of albums over the last few years. The sci-fi / horror motifs are not as forward on this one as others, but the sort of techno-futurism that permeates this record in an era of AI and enshittification shine through and serve very much as a record for this time and of this time, and there's something to be said about meeting the moment when it doesn't feel like anyone else does. "Dominator" into "Change the Channel" sets the tone of the record, with "Run It" a sort of New Jack Swing by way of Philip K. Dick deconstruction. "Code" a prescient critique of the technological present, "Polaroids" and ...

Photo by Jackie Freeman Vermont's Robber Robber have just released a cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds," my own personal favorite Elvis song. If you aren't expecting this to be a note for note completely faithful cover, you're correct. Robber Robber turn the 1969 number one song into a bizarre indie rock burst. Musically, it goes off into a vastly different direction that sounds nothing like the original. The lyrics and vocals remain faithful to Elvis', and unlike many similar covers from the 90's, Robber Robber aren't using their cover to mock a classic. This is no novelty, and you can tell they're fans. This version of "Suspicious Minds" is a lot of fun, and a great way for Robber Robber to end their 2025. Robber Robber say of their latest single: “We went through an Elvis phase where we listened to a bunch of Elvis for a couple of weeks and watched those two movies about him and Priscilla, and ‘Suspicious Minds’ has always...

Photo courtesy of Big Harp Big Harp, the duo of Chris Senseney and Stefanie Drootin-Senseney, are back with their first new music in ten years and their first on Saddle Creek since 2013's Chain Letters. Their new song is a cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry." It's a stripped down, acoustic, almost folky version of the iconic track. While acoustic covers are pretty much a cliche at this point, Big Harp do it quite well. Even though it's an acoustic version of the post-punk/New Wave classic, it's recognizable from the first strummed chords. This is a great version of "Boys Don't Cry," and we're thrilled to welcome back Big Harp. Chris Senseney says of his band's new single: “Our daughter has gotten really into The Cure in the last couple years, so this song has kinda been floating around our heads. The original is perfect as it is, but it’s such a solid song that it can work in a lot of contexts. And like any really well put-togeth...

I don't think I'm happier for any band in 2025 as I am for Weakened Friends. We started covering them way back in 2015 when they were pretty much the official opener any time a 90's artist came through Boston, and 2016's EP Crushed was my #10 release of that year. For Feels Like Hell , the Maine band seemed to decide to make a hit album, and they're being rewarded with sold out headlining slots in the same venues they used to open in. It's well deserved, since Feels Like Hell is a great album. It keeps the raw edge that we've always loved about Weakened Friends, and adds even more pop hooks while somehow being louder than their previous releases. "Nosebleed" might be my favorite song of the year, and if you miss the angst of the 90's, Weakened Friends are here for you. They somehow managed to wrangle Buckethead into shredding on "NPC," and the whole thing closes with a grungy cover of "Torn," which is the most fun cover song...

People have a lot of capital-o Opinions about Ethel Cain, ranging from her early edgelord presence to her oft-eerie post-Americana sound. She put out an EP of what is best described as drone ambient songs, Perverts , early in the year, and while it was compelling enough as someone who listens to too much drone and too much ambient, I don't think we were prepared for what it ultimately foreshadowed. Willoughby Tucker is described as a concept album, but it's more of a conceptual journey. Across 10 tracks and nearly 74 minutes, you end up floating down this river of slowcore acoustic songs filled with love and lust, conspiracy and concern. Opening track, "Janie," sets the tone without actually setting the tone at all, and it's only once we get to "Nettles" (one of the best songs of the year) that the disparate sounds come together into a package that turns this from an interesting curiosity to one of my favorite things ever. There's so much w...

Photo by Nico Lareau .idk. is the moniker of London born and Maryland raised rapper, singer, and producer Jason Mills. His latest single, "SCARY MERRi," might be the least Christmas-y Christmas song we've covered this year. It's a hip hop banger that could be played all twelve months of the year, with only the word "holiday," the occasional reference to Christmas Eve, and the "Jingle Bells Batman smells" intro giving it away. This is underground hip hop perfection, and if you love the type of rap we usually cover, you're going to love this one. It also doesn't hurt that .idk. has one of the smoothest flows around in 2025. .idk. says of his latest single: "This project goes more in-depth into my incarceration, the mentality during the events that led to it, and the mindset I had while inside. It confronts that reality head-on, blending sharp lyricism with raw storytelling about incarceration, betrayal, spiritual conflict, and the moment...

Photo by Zander Fieschko Sylvia Black is described as a "post-punk and psychedelic blues femme fatale," and her latest single will show you why. "Long Gone Gardens" is a moody and gothic track with heavy bass lines. It's wonderfully hypnotic, and as intense as it is, it's also eerily soothing. The song is going to appeal to fans of artists like Siouxsie and The Banshees, and although there are some distinct 80's vibes to the song, those vibes are through a modern prism. "Long Gone Gardens" is mesmerizing, and perfect for those of us that find joy and pleasure in darker songs. Sylvia Black is one of those artists we're quite likely to become enamored with rather quickly. Sylvia Black says of her latest single: “The track is a reflection about a choice that seemingly lets you lose everything but puts you on a new path to find salvation again in another form.” You can watch the video for "Long Gone Gardens" below. Shadowtime is due o...