If It's Too Loud...

Via was a Boston band featuring Thalia Zedek (Come, Live Skull, Uzi), Jerry di Rienzo (Cell, Nuclear Theater), James Apt (Six Finger Satellite), Adam Gaynor (Nuclear Theater), and Phil Milstein (Uzi). The band only played two shows in the late 80's, and never had an official release.  That changes November 14 when Dromedary Records releases an EP of Via's recordings. The first single off of that release, "1,000 MPH," is out now, and it's fantastic. Chris Brokaw has said that Via might be Thalia Zedek's best band, which is quite a statement. After you hear the first two seconds of "1,000 MPH," you might agree. The song is immediately obsession worthy. It's buzzsaw guitars flatten you before the track fully takes off. As great as the vocals and lyrics are, it's the instrumentation that makes "1,000 MPH" so memorable. It's an unhinged and just barely under control blast of noisy indie rock and punk. To me it sounds like if Steve Al...

Photo by Finn O'Rourke Sleepyhead formed all the way back in 1989 at NYU, and relocated to Boston. They took some time off after 1996's Communist Love Songs before returning in 2014 with Wild Sometimes. They're now back with a new single that is exactly what we want from Sleepyhead. "Hoping That You're Lonely" is a laid back and upbeat indie rock jam, although these days many would call it indie pop. It's a little bit bluesy, and might be a little more cheery than anyone would have tolerated thirty years ago, but it's 2024 and people are allowed to experience joy nowadays. "Hoping That You're Lonely" is a fun little ditty that's a perfect current jumping on point for new fans of Sleepyhead, and even better if you already know and love them. Drummer/vocalist Rachael McNally says of the band's latest single: “‘Hope That You're Lonely’ is more of a realization song than one of regret. The lyrics reflect on the futility of investi...

Photo by Becky Cote Based out of Brooklyn and Kingston, NY, Overheard have a sound not exactly like anyone else. Their latest single, "Return," is, for lack of anything closer, a folk song. It has all of the elements, and the vocals are certainly geared towards the more mainstream side of the genre. But then the music takes a much darker and distinctly foreboding turn. It's bordering on being more of a rock song, but never quite goes far enough, even with all the reverb being utilized. The closest artist I can compare "Return" to is a more rock based version of The Huntress & Holder of Hands. The song is also both mellow and intense, just to add some more glorious confusion to the sound. Guitarist/vocalist Erin Barth-Dwyer says of her band's latest single: “‘Return’ is about life and how we’re interconnected with each other and the world around us. The lyrics were partially inspired by the book  Entangled Life  by Merlin Sheldrake. In it there’s a passag...

Photo by Nick D'Amore New Jersey's Cathedral Ceilings have a new single out named after R.E.M.'s drummer. "Bill Berry" is a burst of power-pop rock and roll goodness. It's a high energy song that sounds much more like Husker Du attempting to go pop punk than anything you've heard from Berry's band. It's a fun and energetic song filled with buzzy guitars and catchy harmonies. "Bill Berry" is a song dripping with nostalgia, sounding like a mixture of mid-90's college radio and mid-90's post-grunge alt-rock. Ralph Malanga says of his band's latest single: “A recurring theme in my lyrics is writing about other songs. Maybe I overdo it, but some songs are so outstanding they deserve another song dedicated to them. This track reflects a nostalgic nod to the mixtape era. When I was younger, mixtapes were a major cultural touchstone—an analog way to connect and discover new music before the internet took over. ‘Bill Berry’ is like a s...

Photo by Nick D'Amore When a band lists the Ramones and Cheap Trick on their "for fans of" section, there's no chance I'm going to not listen. New Jersey's Cathedral Ceilings live up to those comparisons with their latest single. "My CEO" is a fast and edgy punk rock song that also has the kind of hooks you'd hear in the power pop of the 70's. There's a ton of jangle in the song, but it a more hardcore way than you'd expect. Personally, I'm hearing more Husker Du meets Cheap Trick, but the Ramones are represented in the song, too. "My CEO" is a great punk rock song, and Cathedral Ceilings are representing New Jersey working class rock quite well. Guitarist Ralph Malanga says of the band's latest song: “This is a love song about money, and how it can cloud a person's identity, trajectory, and moral standing.  It's about how people turn a blind eye to the evil wrongdoings of their bosses or the companies they w...

Back in 2005, Kittery, Maine's Guy Capecelatro III gathered thirty musicians in an old gymnasium and recorded an eighteen track album in three days. That album was released in 2012, but apparently there were another nineteen songs from that session, so a second album will be released later this month. "Wake" is a one minute and seventeen seconds long song that sounds like modern folk despite being recorded almost twenty years ago. It's a quiet and reflective folk song that is too simple to be all that mainstream sounding. It's a song about those moments when your thoughts begin to wander into a dream just before you fall asleep. My only complaint with the song is the short length. Just as you're starting to truly lock in and get sucked in, it ends. Luckily we have an entire album coming next week. You can watch the video for "Wake" below. Heading North Again is due out April 29 on Dromedary Records, and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more ...

Hailing from New Jersey, Cathedral Ceilings are a relatively new band made up of punk veterans. Their new song, "Addition By Sedition," is definitely a punk song despite how melodic it is. It's more of a combination of melodic punk and straight up rock and roll. The song is dripping with the attitude needed for a punk song, but one that just flat out rocks. I kinda hate to say something like this, especially since they're from New Jersey and all, but this is what Bruce Springsteen would sound like if he fell into punk and decided to go stadium rock with it. Ralphie Malanga of Cathedral Ceilings says about the new song (and we're pretty sure you can guess who it is about!): "I like to save political arguments for social media or family gatherings. So it's really rare for me to get political in a song.  But you can argue that this song isn't political at all. It's just about a decrepit human, who might see a jail cell soon." You can listen to ...