If It's Too Loud...

When Hallelujah the Hills announced their DECK project, I had high but reasonable expectations. When an artist releases a double album, the majority of the time it's going to include a lot of filler. Think of your favorite double albums, and there's most likely a handful of songs that could have easily been left off. 2025 saw a lot of established artists releasing double or triple albums, to varying degrees of success. Hallelujah the Hills ended up releasing a quadruple album of fifty-two songs, one for every card in a deck. It's a very ambitious release, but it's obviously going to be at least half filler, right? Hallelujah the Hills ended up nailing it. Fifty-two songs without a single filler song. The correct order to listen to the albums is DIAMONDS , CLUBS , HEARTS , and SPADES  is the correct order, although I'll admit to not listening to every album every time. I possibly listened to CLUBS  the most, and HEARTS the least, but that's only because   you hav...

When I first heard "Cow Song" back in June, I was instantly enamored with The New Eves. I was afraid that the rest of the songs wouldn't be able to compare to the first single, but as each single was released, I became more and more excited for the release of The New Eve is Rising.  One thing for sure is that this album is not going to be for everyone, and that's perfectly okay. It starts off with the psychedelic freak out "The New Eve," which seems more like a mission statement than a song. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, and then you truly get in with "Highway Man." This one is more of a danceable psych-folk/indie rocker, and it's how you're going to know if The New Eve is Rising is going to be for you.  There are so many elements to The New Eves' music, while the songs still have this almost primal and basic vibe to them. They have that rawness of The Stooges, but instead of being protopunk, this is more of a freak folk s...

It always sounds like hyperbole when I say it, but there simply isn't a talent out there like Ezra Furman. It's nearly impossible to fit the Boston artist's new album into one, or even ten, genres. Goodbye Small Head is a collection of twelve songs that meander through different styles and sounds, all while still sounding like they belong together. That's probably why Furman gets labelled a singer-songwriter so much. No other description even comes close to her sound. Throughout the album, you get indie rock, folk, pop, electronic music, punk, and many more styles. Plus, there's something so unique about how Furman structures a song. Every song feels so immediate and vulnerable. Goodbye Small Head is one of the most intimate albums I've ever heard, which fits right in with Furman's style. This is a fantastic release by one of the best out there. Songs of note: "Grand Mal," "Jump Out," "Power of the Moon," and "Veil Song...

I don't think I'm happier for any band in 2025 as I am for Weakened Friends. We started covering them way back in 2015 when they were pretty much the official opener any time a 90's artist came through Boston, and 2016's EP Crushed was my #10 release of that year. For Feels Like Hell , the Maine band seemed to decide to make a hit album, and they're being rewarded with sold out headlining slots in the same venues they used to open in. It's well deserved, since Feels Like Hell is a great album. It keeps the raw edge that we've always loved about Weakened Friends, and adds even more pop hooks while somehow being louder than their previous releases. "Nosebleed" might be my favorite song of the year, and if you miss the angst of the 90's, Weakened Friends are here for you. They somehow managed to wrangle Buckethead into shredding on "NPC," and the whole thing closes with a grungy cover of "Torn," which is the most fun cover song...

2025 seemed to be a year that hip hop stepped up, and multiple albums were released that moved the genre forward in unique ways. My personal favorite hip hop album of the year is McKinley Dixon's Magic, Alive! There's nothing out there today that sounds anything like this album. It's a mix of hip hop and jazz, with elements of noise rock, choral groups, and maybe a dozen other styles. Hip hop this experimental and creative doesn't usually have mainstream appeal, but I truly think most hip hop fans could fine something to like about Magic, Alive! if it reached them. The songs swing from laid back and chill to more intense bangers, and sometimes are both at the same time. It's like a modern equilvelent of artists like Gang Starr or A Tribe Called Quest. Plus, the album features appearances from Anjimile, Quelle Chris, Ghais Guevera, and more. McKinley Dixon gave us one of those albums that keeps blowing minds more with each and every listen, and gets better every time...

One of the themes of 2025 has been artists we've loved for a while breaking out, and none have done that quite like Wednesday. The indie rock meets country artists blurred those genre lines even further with Bleeds , and blew up with their April 2026 show at Royale moved to the much larger Roadrunner. When you listen to Bleeds , you'll know why. As someone who has always loved albums that swing wildly between genres while still sounding like a cohesive collection of songs, this latest is a dream come true. You go right from the loud and noisy "Reality TV Argument Bleeds" into the twang-filled "Townies." Wednesday are settling firmly into their sound on this one, and we're all well rewarded with this album. Alt-country and indie rock are arguably our favorite genres, and Bleeds mixes both of those sounds into one for a dozen songs unlike anyone else. The songs alternate between being perfect for moshing to heartfelt and earnest head nodders, and that'...

STL GLD have been consistently great for eleven years now, and this year is no exception with Good Music for Bad Kids. The Boston hip hop group have always had a diverse and unique sound, but this latest album expands on their sound even further. Somehow, they go even further into both their punk and pop sides while still releasing a fully hip hop album. One thing you simply can't deny about Good Music for Bad Kids is how dark the album is. Even "80's Babies," possibly the biggest party banger on the album, has a very dark tone to it. Plus, the album features a ton of guest spots from Boston artists as diverse as ToriTori, Naomi Westwater, Oompa, Cakeswagg, Emi McSwain, and more. A lot of us have been angry this year, and STL GLD are here to help us channel that anger into a party in a way I haven't seen since the glory days of Public Enemy.  Songs of note: "80's Babies," "The Get Up Kids," "Dances with Wolves," and "Or Maybe...

Lady Pills, the musical project of Boston's Ella Boissonnault, hits this delightful spot between indie rock and pop. Her latest album, Renowned in the Roaring Twenties , is an upbeat album filled with eleven of the catchiest songs of 2025. The songs cover a wide range of sounds, from the pop of "BN2B" to the alt-rock of "Didn't You" to the New Wave of "Out Into the Open" to the dance banger of "Sink the Ship." Lady Pills takes all of these musical styles and blends them into one cohesive sound. All of the songs on Renowned in the Roaring Twenties sound unique but also like they belong together. Plus, you get some of our favorite guest stars with Will Dailey and Sadie Dupuis on songs. This is an album that brought me some true joy this year at times when I needed music to be fun. Songs of note: "BN2B," "Didn't You," "Right Track," and "Sink the Ship"

Model/Actriz started out in Boston and have since relocated to Brooklyn. We'll try not to hold that against them, especially when they're releasing albums like Pirouette. The album is a collection of nine songs that are equally beautiful and punishing. It's probably best described as post-punk meets noise rock, but that is just a surface description. The songs on Pirouette  are shockingly dance friendly. I was lucky enough to attend two of their live shows this year, and songs like "Cinderella" and "Diva" are perfect for an audience to dance and/or mosh to. You know how a lot of people refer to moshing as dancing? At a Model/Actriz show, that's actually what's happening. I truly can't think of any other band that makes music this intense that you can fully dance to. If you haven't listened to Pirouette yet, give yourself plenty of room and crank this fully. Songs of note: "Vespers," "Cinderella," "Audience," ...

I first discovered Folk Bitch Trio back in summer 2024 with their single "God's a Different Sword." The Naarm/Melbourne trio blew me away with their sound that's equally modern folk-pop and traditional folk, and I was dying to hear more from them. The true magic of Folk Bitch Trio are the harmonies between Grace Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington, and Heide Peverelle. The three take turns on lead vocals, and every song on Now Would Be a Good Time  has a magical, mesmerizing quality. Each single blew me away more and more as they were released, and the album has been on heavy repeat once it was released in July. (And even heavier repeat since the CD has been in my car stereo since August.) Folk Bitch Trio are an artist that is on the cusp of breaking out huge, and a string of festival dates this summer (they're already announced for Green River Festival in June) could very well put them over the edge.  Songs of note: "God's a Different Sword," "Hotel TV...