If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Emma Jones Hailing from the UK, HotWax have a new single out while we wait for their debut album next month. "One More Reason" is a hyper punk track that is incredibly infectious and catchy. The song barrels at you for its entire three minute length. It has a bit of that newfangled punk sound that is injected with some pop and is surprisingly dance friendly, but "One More Reason" sounds more like New Wave than modern pop music. It sounds kind of like if Blondie veared more into post-punk territory than they ever did. If you've never heard HotWax before, this is a great introduction to the band. Be prepared to get sucked into their music instantly. Tallulah Sim-Savage says of the band's latest single: “ We wanted it to feel like the opening song at a festival set, we wanted it to be relentless and addictive. It’s about loving someone so much you kinda hate it, which is relentless and addictive.” You can watch the video for "One More Reason"...

Photo by Louise Mason Hailing from the UK, the latest from HotWax is kind of a glorious mess. "Wanna Be a Doll" is wonderfully noisy. At times the vocals are almost drowned out by the music. It's dissonant throughout, but it's also incredibly poppy and catchy. The guitars are crunchy and have a ton of feedback through nearly the entire song. There's also some unexpected twang at times. It's reminding me of a combination of early, more lo-fi Veruca Salt meets later, more pop-focused Veruca Salt. Despite all of the noise, "Wanna Be a Doll" has some fantastic harmonies and melodies.  Tallulah Sim-Savage says of her band's single: “ This is the first song we wrote for the album and we re-wrote it in so many different ways. And it ended up pretty similar to the first version, which seems to be how it goes. It’s a song where I am writing about myself from someone else’s point of view, being self aware of my bad, sometimes destructive, traits.” You can ...

Photo via Facebook The best news so far this week is that Courtney Barnett is back with new music! "Nameless, Faceless" takes on internet trolls anonymously posting their vile hate, while wishing love upon them. The song also discusses the fear of violence women live in at all times with the line "I wanna walk through the park in the dark / Women are scared that men will kill them / I hold my keys between my fingers." It's definitely a much heavier subject than the personal stories told in her previous album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. Along with the more serious subject matter is a slightly lighter sound, more jangle pop than her crunchier previous songs. It's just enough of a change to keep it interesting while still being what we love about Barnett. You can watch the video for "Nameless, Faceless" below. Courtney Barnett's new album, Tell Me How You Really Feel , will be out May 18 on Marathon Artists/Milk! Rec...