If It's Too Loud...

Photo via Facebook Salem Wolves have been one of my local favorites for quite a while now throughout their tweaked line ups. Their latest configuration has also allowed for a changed up sound which is very apparent on their latest single. "Hostile Music" is still that arena rock ready garage rock that we know and love from the now Rhode Island based band, but the band has injected a tiny bit of metal into their sound. While the song is still rough, it has a slightly smoother sound than we're used to. That could also be because singer Gray Bouchard is almost crooning in the verses. Add in an equal amount of New Wave, and "Hostile Music" is one of the heaviest and oddly pleasant songs to come from Salem Wolves to date! You can listen to "Hostile Music" below. The song is available as a single via MegaHex Records and can be downloaded along with some killer merch bundles over at Bandcamp . For more on Salem Wolves, check out the band's website . 

Photo by Lauren Piandes Back in the early days of rock 'n' roll it was standard practice for musicians to cover songs from their contemporaries and friends. Everybody did it, and if it was good enough for Johnny Cash and everyone else... Somewhere along the line, it fell out of favor, and most artists seem to only cover classic bands and their influences. Gray Bouchard & the Dedications are going old school and covering The Devil's Twins' latest single "Bad Karma." The original was just released back on October 30, and Gray Bouchard and his band have already cranked out a new single. The cover keeps the groove of the original (which would be expected), but drops some of the harder rock elements of The Devil's Twins in favor of a bit more of a pop side (also expected). But this is definitely the hardest we've heard the Dedications rock so far. It's almost like if The Cars reformed in the 90's and tried to get played on alternative rock radio...

Photo by Lauren Piandes Huey Lewis and the News are just one of those bands I never got into, even at their height in the 80's. I'm sure I knew they were cool, but they just never did it for me. They did it for a lot of people, and still do. Inspired by re-watching Back to the Future , Gray Bouchard & the Dedications have decided to make the latest installment of their quarantunes series be a cover of "Power of Love." Once again, their decision might have been divine intervention. Gray Bouchard & the Dedications are masters of mimicking the huge over the top 80's sound needed for any Huey Lewis and the News cover. Sure, this one might be a little sloppy at times, but it's the kind of fun that's just a little bit silly, and we can all use that right now. You can watch the video for Gray Bouchard & the Dedications's cover of "Power of Love" below. For more on Gray Bouchard & the Dedications, check out Gray Bouchard's w...

Photo by Lauren Piandes As we all sit in quarantine for longer and longer, we're all getting bored and videochatting with groups of friends is getting more and more common. This is also leading to bands hopping on Zoom or another software and practicing or even recording. We're all for this, especially when it leads to kick ass covers. The latest is from Gray Bouchard & The Dedications. The power pop leaning towards pop but also some pretty epic rock band have recorded a cover of The Cars beyond classic "You Might Think." If you've been listening to their album Love in the New World  as obsessively as we have since it was released a lifetime ago in February, this is a perfect cover for The Dedications. They stay faithful to the original, albeit with crunchier guitars. Bouchard even does an admirable job singing in his own voice and not imitating Ric Ocasek. (That might sound obvious, but have you ever sung this song out loud without doing an Ocasek impress...

Artist : Sarah Harmer Album : Are You Gone Quick Description : First new music in nearly a decade from the Canadian folkie. Why You Should Listen : She hasn't missed a beat. Overall Thoughts : Her first album in around a decade, in many ways, picks up where she left off. Maybe a little more adult radio rock in some places than the rootsy folk that made me so interested in her work to start, but that isn’t a bad thing. The layoff didn’t hurt her sound at all, and I’m just glad she’s back. Recommendation : Make time for this. Artist : Grimes Album : Miss Anthropocene Quick Description : New music from the off-center pop songstress. Why You Should Listen : This is kind of epic, and a huge step forward. Overall Thoughts : I’m already a big Grimes guy, so it’s not shocking that I’m really into this for a lot of reasons. Grimes has never shied away from taking a more difficult path in her songwriting, and this album is even more ambitious than Art Angels , yet also acting...

Salem Wolves's frontman Gray Bouchard has been using his other band to let out his more pop side, but all that changes with their latest single "Love in the New World." The new song starts off fairly quiet and pretty but very quickly erupts into a burst of fuzzy guitars and thundering drums. It's still a more laid back near ballad and the song is gorgeous, just with this giant bursts of huge guitar and drums. Instead of the Salem Wolves sound of huge arena ready garage rock, "Love in the New World" is huge arena ready alt-rock. Bouchard loves his music huge, and we're 100% on board for it. You can listen to "Love in the New World" below. Love in the New World , the new album from Gray Bouchard & The Dedications, will be out on February 28. You can pre-order your copy via Bandcamp . For more on Gray Bouchard & The Dedications, be sure to check them out on Facebook .  Love in the New World by Gray Bouchard & The Dedications

The PVD Fest takes over downtown Providence this weekend. It's a free, multi-stage, multi-genre, all ages festival that showcases virtually all forms of arts, but since we're a music blog, we're going to stick with music. The website/schedule is more than a little unwieldy, so here is what we've found that you're going to want to check out! Leyla McCalla Saturday, 5:45-7:15 Mural Stage, 120 Mathewson St We're huge fans of Leyla McCalla here, and I personally can't recommend her live show enough. Her blend of traditional folk is completely unique and uses a cello in ways I've never heard before. For a festival that is focusing mostly on local Rhode Island artists, this is a huge booking and a treat for everyone that can attend. Downtown Boys Saturday, 7:45-8:45 Arcade Stage, 35 Weybosset St Most free outdoor all ages shows aren't going to book a band that flaunts their Communism as openly as Downtown Boys, but PVD Fest doesn't seem t...

Keep Safe Boston has been releasing these amazing and massive charity compilations for a little while now. They bring together a bunch of diverse Boston artists for a different cause each time. Past causes have included Fenway Health and RESPOND, INC, Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention. The latest compilation released back in August [editors note: WHOOPS!] is to raise money for Everytown for Gun Safety. As for music, KSB2018 is 36 songs and it includes some of our already favorites. Gray Bouchard (Salem Wolves) New Waves it up on "Savin Hill." Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys contribute "War Gospel," which has been a live staple as of late and on subject for the charity. The I Want You's contribution, "The Rise and Fall," tempers down their usual power pop perfection and amps up the funk and noise. And, with any 36 song compilation, there are always new favorites to discover. Horse Mode's "Spaghetti Lee" reminds me...

Salem Wolves are known for their blend of bombastic, arena rock ready rock n' roll/punk anthems. You would assume that when their lead singer, Gray Bouchard, released a solo album, it would be more on the quieter end. You'd be right with that assumption, but this isn't your typical rock/punk frontman releasing an album of introspective acoustic songs. Instead, Dedication Songs  still has a large sound of less heavy but still big, earnest songs. It's almost as if Billy Bragg took over U2 for an album in the 90's. "Nothing From Nothing" starts off the album with some quiet music box tinkering but builds into this huge power ballad. "You're No Better" might be the angriest power ballad of all time, with it's jerky rhythm and Pinkerton  style confessional vibe. "Chasing After Honey" has a distinct 80's pop vibe, like a more rootsy Rick Springfield. There's enough of Salem Wolves's make up on Dedication Songs to satisfy...

Gray Bouchard, aka the frontman of Salem Wolves, occasionally releases some solo work apart from Salem Wolves. His latest, "When I Was Yours," is just about as far from Salem Wolves as you can possibly get. It's still rock, and it's still an intense song, but it shares very little sonically with his main band. It's more of an epic song, like it was meant to fill up ampitheatrers in the 90's. It has that big quality of bands like U2 or Live, but with a more grounded, raw feel, like a band that normally played The Rat had some pretty big dreams. You can listen to "When I Was Yours" below. The song is currently available on the Resolution of Happiness // A Radical Resistance Compilation put out by Trimming the Shield Records. It features 19 total songs from bands like The Mammals, Garbage Point, and Ghastly with all proceeds benefiting Lambda Legal . You can get your own copy at Bandcamp . For more on Gray Bouchard and Salem Wolves, check out their ...