If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Tina Gross Seattle's The Darts have a killer new garage single out. "Apocalypse" is a heavily fuzzed out rager of a song heavy on some of the finest organ we've been privileged enough to cover. This is vintage garage rock filtered through some of our favorite Seattle bands. If you've ever wondered what ? and the Mysterians might sound like jamming with Mudhoney, "Apocalypse" will give you an idea. This might be the heaviest garage rock could be as a genre, and the song is a manic burst of groovy noise. Plus, no one has made a protest song this fun since Le Tigre. The Darts might be the band we all need in 2026. In a Bandcamp post, Nicole Laurenne says of her band's latest single: "We toured through Angers, France, and got to see the famous medieval 'Apocalypse Tapestry,' with its woven apocalyptic scenes. The lightning bolt struck me, and the song practically wrote itself in the van as we left the castle. But rather than being a...

Photo by Charles Gall Now here's a collaboration that I didn't expect but are absolutely delighted by. UK experimental post-punk meets indie rock artists Mandy, Indiana have collaborated with abstract hip hop artist billy woods on their latest single. "Sicko!" works insanely well, possibly because Mandy, Indiana have always flirted with electronic music and hip hop in their sound, so collaborating with billy woods works perfectly. This is the kind of single that sounds like it belongs to both artists equally, and it's a fairly batshit (in a great way!) sounding track that merges both styles into one that is nearing perfection. As someone who spent their formative years obsessed with the Judgment Night soundtrack, I'm always in favor of rock and hip hop artists working together, and "Sicko!" is one of the best of these pairings I've heard in years. Mandy, Indiana say of their collaboration with billy woods: “We wanted to create something with an a...

Photo by Z  Marciniak We've been watching Ratboys grow as artists for a number of years now, and we're thrilled to say that their latest single showcases how great they've gotten. "Penny in the Lake" might be the epitome of modern day alt-country. It mixes plenty of twang with a rock edge to it. It's laid back while still being intense, and it's as catchy as it could possibly be. The song is a perfect balance of killer guitars and Julia Steiner's engaging vocals and lyrics. Ratboys aren't breaking new ground with "Penny in the Lake." This is the kind of song they've been doing for years, they've just perfected it this time around. If you haven't discovered Ratboys yet, but love artists like Drive-By Truckers, Wilco, and Lucinda Williams, "Penny in the Lake" could become your favorite song of 2026. Julia Steiner says of her band's latest single: “I wrote this song on a sunny summer day while sitting outside in my ...

Artist : Annabelle Chairlegs Album : Waking Up Quick Thoughts : I could not recall whether or not I heard Annabelle Chairlegs's debut album, but I recall enjoying their 2020 effort. It's been more than five years, but we have another winner here: a nice mix of garage rock with traditional alt sensibilities, and singer Lindsey Mackin can outright howl. Absolutely one of my favorites this week, don't miss out. Songs of Note : "Concrete Trees," "Patty Get Your Gun," "Shoo Fly" Artist : Yumi Zouma Album : No Love Lost to Kindness Quick Thoughts : I've been a fan of Yumi Zouma for a while now, from their second EP onward. It's kind of dreampop and kind of shoegazey, and as much as the genre has seen a reniassance of sorts as of late, I feel like Yumi Zouma should be in the conversation more. A song like "Phoebe's Song" fits right in with the best alt-rock trappings out there, and "Blister" has some of the...

It's been a few years since we brought you new music from Grrrl Gang, but the Indonesian band is back with a maxi-single/three song EP. Online 24/7 is a collection of diverse alt-rock songs. While the songs on their 2023 album Spunky! were more post-punk, this new collection features melodic alt-rock. It starts off with "You & Me," which reminds me of mid-90's post grunge songs from artists like Veruca Salt. What's great about the songs on Online 24/7 is just how big they sound. This is arena ready alt-rock that keeps the charm of Grrrl Gang's earlier songs intact. Sure, it's a more mainstream sound than we've heard from them, but when it's done this well, mainstream is hardly a bad thing. "O, My Love" even sounds like it's from your favorite 90's teen romcom. The maxi-single ends with "Lapdog," which is a spoken word track that's about as experimental as the mainstream can get. Online 24/7 is a great, fun releas...

Hailing from Coeur d' Alene, Idaho are The Wow Wows. The four piece just released a new single that's a raw burst of psychedelia. "Johny's Gone Invisible" defies the notion that psychedelic means hippie. Right from the start you know you're in unstable territory, with one of the more intense false starts in recent memory. The song is a rough garage rocker along the lines of bands like The 13th Floor Elevators. There's also some 60's British Invasion elements in the song reminiscent of the finest songs from The Kinks. "Johny's Gone Invisible" has a gloriously retro sound without really being a throwback. Please feel free to join us on The Wow Wows' bandwagon. This is a great one. You can listen to "Johny's Gone Invisible" below. For more on The Wow Wows, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .

Once again, Something in the Way took over Roadrunner in Boston for two days of killer live music. Twelve bands took over two stages on Sunday, with a surprisingly diverse line up of shoegaze, alt-country, hardcore, emo, slowcore, and more. For all the people that complain about people being on their phones for entire shows, they need to check out Something in the Way, which saw an audience mostly made up of teens and twentysomethings moshing, stage diving, and crowd surfing for hours. It's a much needed relief from the tail end of winter, and the freezing cold. Here were our highlights of Sunday. Glixen Phoenix's Glixen opened up the show and were the perfect way to ease the crowd into a day of mostly heavy music. Taking the stage at 1:30 pm, their version of heavy shoegaze got the crowd ready without being too heavy as we got prepared for nine hours of music. I've been praising Glixen for a while now, and their live show simply can't be beat. Drummer Keire Johnson sti...

Photo by Nolan Knight Last year saw Daffo release the excellent debut album Where the World Ends , and now Gabi Gamberg's musical project is back with a cover of Arthur Russell's "I Couldn't Say It to Your Face." The cover remains quite faithful to the original. It's just as twangy, but Daffo does add in a little more rock and roll to the cover. It's an immensely engaging song. This is the kind of cover that's going to make you want to listen to both artists more, which is the best kind of cover. If you're into the whole indie rock meets alt-country/Americana sound, this is going to quickly become one of your favorite singles of the year. Daffo says of the new single: “What can I say? I love Arthur Russell and I love to  sing this song. I always used to harmonize to the song when I listened to it, and I love recording with Rob Schnapf and Matt Schuessler, so I thought it would be super cool to get to make my version of the song come to life. I had ...

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...