If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Dave Mante Germany's The Melmacs are back with a brand new power pop punk single. "Run for Your Life" is a just under three minute burst of pure joy in rock and roll form. This is one of the most earwormy rock songs you've ever heard. It has all of the delight and rawness of early garage rock, but the polish and sheen of pop punk. This is rock music that demands you dance to it with its modern meets vintage vibes. Sometimes you just need a fun song, and The Melmacs are providing you with that. "Run for Your Life" is filled with killer riffs and some of the catchiest hooks of this century. And that's not even mentioning the organ, which might be the secret weapon of the song. You can watch the video for "Run for Your Life" below. The single is out now on Spaghetty Town Records. For more on The Melmacs, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram .

Lowell thrash punks SkyTigers are back with a new single from their album that's due out Friday. "Greenbark" is a rager of a song. It's filled with guitar riffs galore and intense vocals. The song feels like it's just barely in control, but SkyTigers have it locked in. "Greenbark" might end up being the loudest and fastest song we cover all 2026. It kind of sounds like if you mashed Anthrax and Bad Religion into one band. It has some of the best guitar solos out of Boston, and the most powerful gang vocals you've ever heard. You can listen to "Greenbark" below. ... Injustice for All is due out February 6 on Sound Investment Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on SkyTigers, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . They'll be playing an album release show February 11 at Deep Cuts in Medford with Tree and Hell Beach.

Photo by Jenna Connolly Boston indie pop rocker Kerrin Connolly has a new single out that "... grapples with OCD & anxiety in the age of the internet death grip." "Big Amygdala" is a shockingly fun song that is overflowing with 80's synth pop goodness. The song sounds like it belongs in that obscure 80's teen movie that you used to watch endlessly on repeat but can't quite remember the name of. It's ridiculously fun, and adds in an interesting 00's pop punk sound as well. I personally never thought I'd have the lyric of "Big Amygdala doesn't want you to know" stuck in my head, but here we are. Kerrin Connolly has this amazing ability to make pop music that even indie snobs are genuinely going to love. Kerrin Connolly says of their latest single: “As usual, there’s still some playfulness in this one - taking the whole ‘Big ____ Doesn’t Want You To Know’ and other popular bait headlines to underscore how having OCD can feel li...

Photo by SWURVE Lee Lewis studied classical music at University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music before transitioning to pop music. After hearing his latest single, you'll realize just how far Lewis is pushing the pop genre. Sure "White Flag" is pop focused, but it's also rooted heavily in soul. It's the kind of song that you'll probably end up loving even if you normally hate pop. There's just something about the way "White Flag" is constructed. It's like a modern reimagining of the best R&B and soul of the 60's. I wouldn't even call the song neo-soul because it's too modern sounding even though its roots are in the vintage hits we all grew up with. Lee Lewis has found something special with this one. Lee Lewis says of his new single: “In many ways, ‘White Flag’ serves as the preamble to the slow death of something chaotic and toxic, a moment where self-worth finally begins to outweigh the emotional cat chase...

Photo by Eryn Brooke "Police on My Back" is an iconic song that is eternally timely. First done by The Equals, although we all know the version from The Clash better, Austin's Parker Woodland has released their version. This cover stays more true to The Clash's cover, although Parker Woodland add their own spin on it as well. It's a little more pop and polished, but there is a little more oomph and aggression in Erin Walter's vocals. In better times, I'd say this is a fun version of the song, but at the very least it's a new take on a timeless classic. And, if you do find it fun, we can use all the joy we can in 2026... even if it's joy in protest. You can listen to Parker Woodland's version of "Police on My Back" below. The single is available via Bandcamp, with proceeds benefitting the Texas Civil Rights Project. For more on Parker Woodland, check out the artist's website . Police On My Back / Get Me to the Show (Radio Mix) by P...

Photo by Cat Meade When a press release compares a band to The Lemonheads, Superchunk, and Husker Du, I'm guaranteed to listen. And probably guaranteed to like the song. That's certainly the case with "Hey Dude," the latest single from Hedge. Plus, the Worcester, MA band has said that the song is an ode to Dinosaur Jr. If you love 90's alternative rock, you're going to love this one. The song is a noisy and catchy track, filled with whining guitars and slacker style vocals. The drums and guitar sound like they're daring each other to go faster for the length of the song. "Hey Dude" sounds like that last song on your favorite sampler compilation CD from 1995, so we're obviously here for it. Christopher Chaisson (guitar/vocals) says of his band's new single: "'Hey Dude' is about the unique intricacies of growing up and how they shape later life. For some, it’s cultural or based in tradition; but for me, it was my dad introducin...

Photo by Colin Medley It's been three years since we last heard from Charlotte Cornfield. In that time, she had a baby and signed with Merge Records. Now she's back with a new single, "Hurts Like Hell." The new song continues her blend of folk/roots music mixed with indie rock. It's definitely leaning much more heavily on the folk/roots side of things, but Cornfield has always been able to take a classic genre and make it all her own. It's a sound that's going to resonate with both the Americana and indie rock purists, with both wanting to fully claim her. "Hurts Like Hell" is a laid back and fully intriguing song with some serious country roots that will instantly grab many music fans after a single listen. Charlotte Cornfield says of her latest single: “This song is about someone getting over deep insecurities and inhibitions and putting themselves out there. These two characters in the song have clearly experienced a lot of pain and are pushin...

Every year when The Town and the City announce their line-up, we say that it's their best ever, and every year we truly mean it. 2026 keeps their unbeaten streak alive with a line-up that's going to thrill all music fans in the Lowell area. This year, the festival once again takes over downtown Lowell April 30 through May 2. Individual shows haven't been announced yet, but you'll get to see John Doe of X and David Lowery of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven performing together, as well as Tanya Donelly and Chris Brokaw with their "modern interpretations of medieval music." Also playing this year are folk rockers The Felice Brothers, along with local favorites GA-20, Future Teens, JVK, Megan From Work, The Wolff Sisters, Tysk Tysk Task, Dee Tension & The Secrets, Other Brother Darryl, Tell, Phantom Ocean, and many, many more. In an interesting move, two Lowell favorites will be performing cover sets this year, with The Ghouls performing Black Sabbath and Bur...

Photo by Pooneh Ghana Austin's Annabelle Chairlegs, aka Lindsey Mackin, has one last single out before her album is released tomorrow. "Patty Get Your Gun" is a slice of indie rock meets singer-songwriter. The song has some wonderfully dirty guitar and the slightest hint of twang. It's there, but not enough to qualify as any variation of country. While her previous two singles have had an indie rock meets pop sound, "Patty Get Your Gun" is the least pop of the three. It's more indie rock meets garage rock with some pop sprinkled in. As much as we loved "Heavy Sleeper" and "Concrete Trees," this latest one might be what makes us Annabelle Chairlegs superfans.  Lindsey Mackin says of her latest single: "Be about sumthin’. Be curious. Have humility. Join your community and fight for what you believe in and also fight for those who can’t. The world is on fire and we should be on fire too." You can listen to "Patty Get Your ...

Photo by Nick Helderman Hailing from Groningen, Netherlands, Real Farmer has a new single out that sees bassist Marrit Meinema take over vocal duties. "Run By Animals" is a hard song to define, so we'll say it's mostly indie rock. Of course, that barely scratches such a haunting song that is equally intense as it is mellow. It's possibly more than a little post-punk as well, but a more organic version than we normally hear. The song feels like it's folk, although it certainly is not even folk adjacent. It's possible that the song is more folklore than anything else. "Run By Animals" is both haunting and hypnotic, and Real Farmer have something special with this one. Marrit Meinema says of the band's latest single: "We believe that we should get rid of the people currently ruling the world, decentralise power and give it back to the people." You can watch the video for "Run By Animals" below. Two Wrongs Don't Make a Rig...

Photo by Niki Pretti Photography Oakland's Middle-Aged Queers are set to celebrate Valentine's Gay with a pair of shows, and have released a new single to get everyone ready. It's a cover of Mazzy Starr's iconic "Fade Into You." Gen-X's favorite make out song (which Gen-Z finds incredibly depressing) has been reimagined as a raucous punk song. It's loud and noisy, and sounds more like classic late 70's/early 80's punk than anything released this century. It's also a shockingly faithful cover to the original despite the complete change in genre. I never thought "Fade Into You" could work as a straight up punk song, but Middle-Aged Queers pull it off perfectly. Frontman Shauners says of their latest single: “When our bassist, Josh, came to us with the idea of covering this song, I was incredibly skeptical. He then upped the ante by persuading us to let him sing it, with me relinquishing lead vocal duties in exchange for playing bass...

Photo by Christian Barker Earlier this month, we brought you the latest single from Dream Fatigue. Now the Massachusetts band is back with a brand new single, "Spun." This song keeps their grunge rock with pop melodies sound intact, and somehow gets both heavier and more poppy. The song is dangerously fuzzed out, with vocal melodies sure to suck you in. At times the song just seems to happen with an almost improvised vibe. It's like parts aren't quite matching up, which forces you to pay closer attention before you get smacked with the force of the song when it ramps back up. Grunge with pop melodies doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy, but Dream Fatigue will make it work for even the most hardcore grunge purists. You can listen to "Spun" below. No Requiem is due out February 13, and is available to pre-order here . For more on Dream Fatigue, check out the band on Instagram . Upcoming tour dates are below the song and include March 5 at the VFW in...

If you believe that Valentine's Day should be replaced by Winter Halloween, we have a song for you. "Sanitizer," the latest single from Culture Clash, is a punk song that fits into the slash horror category. It mixes punk with alt-rock, and has an early Queens of the Stone Age vibe to it. It's heavy, and it's fast, and, according to a disclaimer at the beginning of the video, "... 100% endorses a belief in the occult." It's a bit more grungy than Culture Clash's normal sound, as they were going for a Nirvana's Bleach meets The Misfits sound. They acheived it. Kaii Boulton (guitar/vocals) says of the band's latest single: “ This song is important to me as it represents a shift in our song writing format. Sanitizer takes Culture Clash as a group of vague floating ideas & shoves those ideas into a bag creating a tight concept of what we are as a band & what we want to do - in short, it gave us a sense of direction." You can watc...

Photo by Orion Hastings Starcharm is the new project from Chicago's Elena Buenrostro, formerly of Soft and Dumb. Their latest single, "Wake Up," is this bizarre little burst of near mainstream indie rock. It takes a little bit to get going, but it takes off a little after the thirty second mark. Before that it's more of a indie pop style song, and then the feedback kicks in and Starcharm are off. There is still plenty of an indie pop thing going on in "Wake Up," but it's still primarily a rock song. This song is so close to following a known pattern of immensely popular indie rock meets indie pop, but it veers off the path enough to keep the song unique. This is a good one with enough twists and turns to always make you wonder what's coming up next. You can watch the video for "Wake Up" below. The single is out now on Fire Talk Records/Angel Tapes. For more on Starcharm, check out the artist on Instagram .