If It's Too Loud...

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," ...

When I first saw Model/Actriz in late 2023, I was completely unaware of them and was completely blown away by their live show. Their energy and performance was unmatched, and they instantly went on my "must see" list. Monday night they played Deep Cuts, which is my current favorite venue. Obviously, I needed to attend. Even knowing what to expect from a Model/Actriz live show, I was still dumbfounded by just how great they were. Monday night was a non-stop thrill ride of killer song after killer song one right after the other. Songs ranged from rave style bangers that inspired manic dancing in the crowd to industrial ragers that got the pit going hard... although to be fair both were happening for most songs. Vocalist Cole Haden might be the greatest frontperson in music today, and worked the crowd into an absolute frenzy. It's nearly impossible to keep your eyes off of him, and his energy was only matched by the audience. The packed house reacted wildly to every single s...

Taking place in Somerville, NICE, a fest has been slowly growing and becoming one of the go-to festivals every year despite an increasingly stacked festival schedule. This will be their fourth year, and hyperbole aside, they've grown even bigger and more impressive for 2024. This year will see over eighty bands with ties to Boston playing over four days. They're back to Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater and The Rockwell for 2024, but they've added a larger outdoor stage for Saturday at the Grove Street lot. The line-up is stacked and features many of our favorites. Vundabar, Palehound, Model/Actriz, Dutch Tulips, Hannah Mohan, House of Harm, Burp, Jake McKelvie, Sweet Petunia, Noble Dust, TIFFY, Vivid Bloom, Zip-Tie Handcuffs, and many, many more are playing. Every single time I look at the poster I notice a band I had previously missed and get even more excited for! And there are still two unannounced bands that are pretty high up on that poster, so let the speculatio...

The theme of going to live shows in November seemed to be old favorites and nostalgia. For December, I decided to go the opposite direction and check out a couple of bands that have a ton of buzz, but I didn't really know much about. Those bands were Model/Actriz and Chanel Beads. And I was reminded that sometimes those nights can be revelations. Model/Actriz started off in Boston but are now based in Brooklyn, so this was a homecoming for them. They have a rabid fanbase, and it's obvious why. They are simply one of the most engaging live bands out today, and there is no way they won't be erupting out of small clubs in the extremely near future. Vocalist Cole Haden is a mixture of Jarvis Cocker and David Yow, being equal parts charismatic frontman and unpredictable performer. After asking how many people had never seen them before (which was the majority of the crowd), Haden declared that he had to get to know everyone better and jumped over the barricade to jump around wit...