If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Emily Marcovecchio Recently, the UK Supreme Court recently ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Kate Nash has released a new single in response to that ruling, and it might be the most punk rock song of the year. It's a spoken word rant that rallies against the belief that transwomen are a threat to cis women, toxic masculinity, and name checks Elon Musk and Donald Trump. It's a surprisingly experimental song from Nash, and it's straight up badass. At a time where people keep insisting we need Rage Against the Machine to come back, Kate Nash might have us covered. Kate Nash says of her latest single: “Using feminism to erase the rights of others is inherently un-feminist. ‘GERM’ is my response to the recent news that the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex and that the concept of sex is binary. Trans people were excluded from the conversation. "I am left uneasy as I see behaviour...

Photo by Ken Sears Like just about everyone, I absolutely adored "Foundations" when it came out in 2017. At that point, I was more of a casual Kate Nash fan, and she admittedly fell off my radar shortly after that. Earlier this year, it was announced that she had signed to Kill Rock Stars. Being a 90's indie rock snob, that got my attention and I checked out 9 Sad Symphonies . That was excellent enough to get me to dive deeper into her catalog, and became more of a fan. Seeing as she was playing Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, I knew I simply could not miss the show. Any expectations I had for Kate Nash's live show were blown away by actually seeing her perform. Nash attacked that stage with an energy usually reserved for hardcore bands. She barely stood still for the first five or six songs as she bounded across the stage. For "Misery," she hopped off the stage and into the crowd for basically the entire song. Her energy was matched by her band, who...

Artist : The Shacks Album : Big Crown Vaults Vol. 2 Quick Thoughts : "Wings" made some playlists for me a while back, and I didn't realize an album was dropping. Wow, it is good! A really solid listen from start to finish, with Isobel Campbell-esque vocals and a light touch to it that transcends the normal idea of indie twee. Produced by Leon Michels of El Michels Affair as part of the Big Crown Vaults series, I loved this a lot and it's worth your time. Songs of Note : "For Real," "Trip to Japan," "Wings," "Crimson & Clover," "Wind," "Drone" Artist : Your Old Droog Album : Movie Quick Thoughts : Everyone's so busy with the Kendrick/Drake feud and the return of Slim Shady that we've led Your Old Droog wallow in semi-obscurity. Movie is the latest in a line of albums that show he deserves to be part of the discussion, with an album that feels as much as an introduction to new listener...

Photo by Alice Baxley Kate Nash has always made the kind of pop music that is still beloved by those of us who pretend to hate pop music, and her latest single is a perfect example of that. First off, it's called "My Bile" which isn't exactly a pop sounding song title. That aside, the song sounds more like something you'd hear in a musical than Top 40 radio. Plus, it has one of the most interesting beats I've heard in anything that can be considered pop, and an extremely orchestral feel. "My Bile" is going to appeal to fans of The Last Dinner Party more than it will to Taylor Swift fans.  Kate Nash says of her latest single:  “‘ My Bile’ is about being at your wits’ end and having nothing left to give to society’s expectation of you, and I guess reassessing past behaviors and current priorities. You know you’re on empty when you’re spewing up bile. I’ve realized I need more reserves for myself. I’m at a point in my life where I want to say ‘no’ to th...

Photo by Jack Buster Despite my hatred of most pop music, I've always liked Kate Nash. Maybe it's because she's British, but her music has always seemed to be a higher, more clever version of pop. It's always been the kind of pop music it's ok for American indie rock snobs to openly love. That continues with her latest single, "Change." This one is an absolutely beautiful ballad. At this point, the song is probably more on the Adult Contemporary side of things with artists like Ben Folds or Jewel. It starts off as a lovely and simple song, and just grows to an epic, orchestral ballad. "Change" might not have the same biting edge of her earlier work, but Kate Nash has never sounded better than she does now. Kate Nash says of her latest single: “ ‘Change’ is about relationships and how they are ever-evolving, constant effort is required to maintain good relationships. You can’t become complacent with others or with yourself. But you also have to le...

We're already a quarter of the way through the year! What?! Album of the Week : Artist : Kasey Musgraves Album : Golden Hour Quick Description : Latest from country music's... uh, bad girl? I don't know. Why You Should Listen : Kasey Musgraves is the most interesting mainstream country singer going. Overall Thoughts : Kasey Musgraves is pretty much known as the mainstream country artist that people who hate mainstream country listen to. And while she’s making some serious waves with “Space Cowboy,” songs like “High Horse” suggest a Swiftian pivot in the near future. It’s a great album, all things considered - a lot of the attitude that I always read about finally shows its face for me here in ways her previous records did not but if you listen to Musgraves for her outlaw-adjacent attitude, it’s possibly missing here for you. Still, this is a sneaky great record, and if you've resisted jumping on the bandwagon... Recommendation : ...plenty of room for now. ...