If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Tom White Our favorite Leeds based post-punk/free jazz band Volk Soup is back with a new single. "Professionalism Debunked" is a weird freak out that simply sounds and feels cool. It's surprisingly groovy, with a chorus consisting of wordless sounds... and it could very well be one of the catchiest things we've heard all year. I'm not quite sure how you're going to dance to this one, but you're going to want to find a way. And all of this is before the guitar solo kicks in with the odd vocalizations behind it. "Professionalism Debunked" has an interesting Talking Heads meets Frank Zappa thing going on, with maybe just a little extra aggression thrown in. Vocalist/guitarist Harry Jones says of the band's latest single: "It’s a song with a simple sentiment: don’t take your job too seriously. It is essentially demanded of a person that they lose vast swathes of their precious time on Earth or else face a cruel and untimely death. W...

The New Limits are quickly becoming one of Boston's favorite ska bands, and if you haven't been converted yet, their latest single will make you a fan. "Mr. Blue" merges earlier, two-tone ska and third wave ska. It has this great laid back side that has a killer groove and soulful vocals from singer Julia Wolfe. The song swings between this side and a more upbeat, Save Ferris-esque style. Both are sure to inspire dancing from their fans, and "Mr. Blue" is everything you've always loved about ska, even if you're afraid to admit that you still do. Luckily, The New Limits are the kind of band that will make ska acceptable again. You can listen to "Mr. Blue" below. These are the Nights is due out September 19 on Jump Up Records. For more on The New Limits, check out the band's website . They'll be playing an album release show at Faces Brewing in Malden with Eight Foot Manchild and Futon Lasagna. Mr. Blue by The New Limits

Photo by Trebmal Photography Boston is a city crawling with garage rock bands, but The Chelsea Curve are consistently one of my favorites. Their latest single, "Never Come Down," keeps their trademark garage rock goes mod sound while adding in some sugary sweet power pop. This is a fun track that combines the power pop and grooviness of the 60's with a more modern sound little bits and pieces of all decades in between. It's a sound that feels both vintage and modern, with killer harmonies between guitarist Tim Gillis (who takes lead vocals on "Never Come Down") and bassist Linda Pardee. The Chelsea Curve take a beloved multi-decade old sound and inject some new life into it, much to our delight. Tim Gillis says of the band's latest single: “It’s about the ultimate feeling of being free. I mean, who doesn’t want to feel free, unfettered, unbound? It’s about being up above it all, opening arms wide to possibilities, and expanding infinitely into forever – ...

Photo by Smitt E Smitty Sometimes you want a rock and roll song, and Little Billy Lost are the perfect band to provide that. The Boston band's latest single, "Tonight," is a slice of power pop that could be lifted straight from the 80's. It's a high energy rocker, with the type of guitar solos that rarely exist these days, but you definitely miss more than you realize. There are the roots of bands like Cheap Trick in "Tonight," and even though it might be inspired by songs from four decades ago, Little Billy Lost sound like a slightly updated version of that sound. This one is delightfully retro, and as fun as a power pop/rock song needs to be. Fred Pineau (guitar and vocals) says of his band's latest single: “I wanted to go for a real power-pop type of song with the more rock edge that we give everything. The lyrics I write I usually consider a short story, and I can see them play out in my head like a film: ‘Tonight’ is about a toxic relationship i...

Photo by Ginger Fierstein The latest from African psych-rock band Orchestra Gold sees the band diving into the psychedelic side of their sound. "Diyanye Ko Te Sa" has an amazing guitar sound that is going to win you over immediately. It takes over a minute before Mariam Diakite's vocals kick in, and you'll be fully invested in the song before. Once Diakite starts singing, you'll be completely mesmerized. Orchestra Gold have always mixed West African traditional music and psychedelic rock, but "Diyanye Ko Te Sa" steps up the mix, and grooves even harder than it rocks. By the time the song gets to the halfway point, it's like an amped up Parliament/Funkadelic. It's going to be nearly impossible to sit still while "Diyanye Ko Te Sa" plays, but why would you want to? Mariam Diakite says of her band's latest single: "In a culture that floods us with choices and rewards our base impulses, this song is a sacred pause. A moment to ask ...

Photo by Pooneh Ghana Austin, TX's Die Spitz are becoming masters of the heavier side of indie rock. Their latest single, "Punishers," has all of the noise and feedback typically associated with the genre, but it rocks out much harder than your typical indie rockers do. While it's not quite metal, it's certainly metal adjacent, although most metal fans might argue with me on that one. (The guitar breakdown will agree with me, though.) There's also some serious punk vibes with "Punishers" despite how melodic it is throughout. I also might be detecting some heavy shoegaze, making the whole thing sound like a mash-up of Mannequin Pussy and Glixen. Chloe De St. Aubin says of her band's latest single: “‘Punishers’ is about things or people who ‘punish.’ Whether it’s withholding love, jealousy, or keeping someone or even yourself hooked in a cycle—the song captures the feelings of insanity and frustration punishers bring." You can watch the video ...

Photo by Beeau Gomez Oruã  are a Brazilian band that include L ê  Alm eida and J o ã o Casaes who temporarily joined Built to Spill after Doug Martsch saw the band in 2019. Their latest single, "M é xico Suite," is the style of indie rock song where you never quite know what's coming next. The song starts off slow with a heavy and noisy groove. It's hypnotic, and if the song stayed like its beginning, it would be a great song. And then the disjointed noise comes in, and while the song doesn't end up sounding like Built to Spill, it's going to appeal to fans of the long time band. "M é xico Suite" continues evolving over the course of it's five and a half minute length ending in an extended jam session, and while it feels longer, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Oru ã  have just packed an awful lot into this killer single. L Almeida says of the band's latest single: “ In December of 2023, after an Oruã US tour, I traveled to Cancún, Mex...

Wuss are an indie rock band out of Malang, Indonesia. Their latest single, "Where It Begins," is an unbelievably jangly and upbeat track. It's bouncy and filled with melodies. While much of indie rock tends to be dissonant and noisy, Wuss' latest is pure sugary goodness bordering on power pop. It's kind of like a mixture of The Beths and The Archies, with a layer of fuzz over the melody. And that's all before the guitar solo comes in. It might not be the most impressive guitar solo we've covered here, but there's something about it that will make you fall deeply in love with "Where It Begins." The band says of its latest single: "We chose this song as the starting point for our full-length album. Each single will correlate, connecting with each other, to form a complete album."  You can listen to "Where It Begins" below. Wuss' upcoming album is due by the end of the year on Haum Entertainment. For more on the band, che...

Photo by Daniel Topete It's been a little while since we've brought you new music from Been Stellar, but the band is back with another 90's influenced single. "Always On My Mind" might sound like songs you've heard from the 90's, but it certainly doesn't stay fixed on one single sound. Instead, it's a blend of guitars reminiscent of At the Drive In with some shoegaze thrown in. There is also a post punk beat that shouldn't fit in with the rest of the song at all, and some mid 90's post grunge kinda sorta poppy vocals, but with far too much slacker added to truly be pop. "Always On My Mind" ends up being a tinny and disjointed song that could have been a trainwreck, but Been Stellar expertly welded together into a killer track. You can watch the video for "Always On My Mind" below. Breakaway is due out September 22 on Dirty Hit, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Been Stellar, check out the band's websi...

Minneapolis' runo plumb is set to release her debut album, and has a new single out for us to check out. "Sickness" lands in that part indie rock, part singer-songwriter genre that we can't seem to get enough of. It's a midtempo song that meanders around as it needs to, sometimes sounding a little folky, other times letting the noise of the guitar bleed through into a more indie rock territory. plum has this ability to make the guitar beautiful, even at its noisiest. The true power of "Sickness" is in its quiet parts. This isn't a song that needs to grab you with volume. It's going to draw you in fully by being a fantastic song. You can watch the video for "Sickness" below. patching is due out November 14 on Winspear, and is available for pre-order here . For more on runo plum, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Nov 1 - Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival Nov 2 - Berlin, DE @ Neue Zukunft N...

Photo by Celeste Hay Sam Salmon and the Grand Manan Bandits are an alt-country band hailing from New Brunswick, and consist of Motherhood and Keith Hallett. They're set to release their debut album and have just released a new single from it. "If I Needed You Now" does an interesting thing. Alt-country typically either falls in the hokey/tongue-in-cheek camp or the completely earnest side. When "If I Needed You Now" started, I got the feeling that it's being intentionally ironic, but as it goes on, it sounds more and more earnest. It ends up being an alt-country number that leans into the fun side of country music and seems like Sam Salmon and the Grand Manan Bandits truly love the genre. Singer Brydon Crain says of the band's latest single: “‘If I Needed You Now’ was one of the first songs written for the Sam Salmon project sometime around 2013, we called it ‘Country No. 1’ until about six months ago. It’s about being in a burning house and wondering if...

I first stumbled upon The James Rocket on Amie Street, which was at least fifteen years ago. That might as well be five or six lifetimes ago, but the band is still chugging away and is set to release their debut full band album. The first single off that album, "Pharaohs," still sounds like The James Rocket while seeing them change up their sound significantly. The song still has that 90's indie rock influence strongly represented, but it also sees them stretching into an almost New Wave or post punk sound. It's kind of like a secret collaboration between Guided By Voices and Talking Heads. "Pharaohs" is a killer rock song that has us dying to hear what one of our long term favorites is up to next. You can listen to "Pharaohs" below. Seen is due out November 21, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The James Rocket, check out the band on Facebook  and Instagram . Seen by The James Rocket

Photo by Christine Latter Hailing from Nova Scotia are The Boojums, an indie rock trio set to release their debut album in October. Their latest single, "Wings of Fire," comes barreling straight at you in a way rare for indie rock. It's a glorious mixture of punk, garage rock, and indie rock blended up in a way we haven't really heard before. You know how when bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, and The Hives broke through and they all sounded completely fresh and exciting, even though they were all rooted in pre-existing sounds? That's how "Wings of Fire" is. You'll hear tons of bands you already adore in The Boojums' sound, but they do it in a way that still makes their latest single sound completely fresh and exciting. Willie Stratton (guitars and vocals) says of the band's latest single: “‘Wings of Fire’ is about chasing something bigger before it disappears in the rearview.  It’s that feeling when you’re flying down the highway—go...

Photo by Robbie Jeffers Some bands make music that is simply magical [pun honestly not intended], and Cuddle Magic are one of those bands. Their latest single, "Rescue Me," lands in the categories of indie folk and chamber pop, and elevates both those genres with their sound. This is a breathtaking song that consists of gentle melodies and harmonies. There's something about the song that's almost hypnotic or meditative. It also exists in a world of indie rock, with waves of acoustic noise softly washing over you. There isn't a lot of music that can be considered uplifting that I truly enjoy, but Cuddle Magic always seem to be an exception to that rule. Cuddle Magic says of their latest single: "'Rescue Me'  is an intimate, soul-baring track about seeking refuge in love. Recorded live with all six members standing in a bathroom—Kristin and Ben in the tub—the song evokes a sense of belonging and healing after the isolation of the COVID pandemic. Beginni...