If It's Too Loud...

I went into Mclusky's 2024 set at The Sinclair in Cambridge as a casual fan. Part of me felt guilty since the show was very sold out, and I felt like I was taking the place of a diehard who deserved it more. By the end of the show, I became one of those diehard fans, and desperately wanted to see them again. Last month they released the excellent EP i sure am getting sick of this bowling alley , and came back to the States to support it. This brought them to the Paradise Wednesday night, and I was right up front and thrilled to be there. Mclusky opened with "Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues," almost like they just wanted to get it out of the way. The crowd absolutely exploded, and, unlike most bands that started three decades ago, the energy of the crowd increased with each song. Mclusky sets tend to be a bit unhinged, but that only accentuates their post-hardcore sound. Their songs are noisy and disjointed, and that's exactly why we love them so much. It's also easy ...

Pile is one of those bands I really need to become more obsessed with. They have that loud, noisy aggression I connect with on a primal level. Their latest single, "The Soft Hands of Stephen Miller," is what I look for in artsy, noisy, aggressive punk. The first half is just build. It's noisy and tense, and you're just waiting for it to explode, which it finally does. I say finally even though the song is just over two minutes long since you want it to explode so badly. And when it does it's such an ideal cathartic release. It's kind of like The Jesus Lizard meets The Dismemberment Plan. You can watch the video for "The Soft Hands of Stephen Miller" below. Green and Gray , the new album from Pile, will be out May 3 on Exploding in Sound. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Pile, check out their website .

Seeing as we love free music and all aspects of the Boston music scene, Boston Sessions Vol.1: Beast  is a big deal for us. The Record Co. is an incubator for the Boston music scene. Boston breeds musicians in all genres of music and has an insanely large college population. The Record Co. is looking to reestablish Boston as a leader in the music industry, by promoting bands that call the city home and getting younger people involved in the scene. We're all for that, so be sure to check out their compilation that you can download now for free via Noisetrade. It reminds me of the compilations of the 90s, Like Tonnage or DGC Rarities: Vol 1.  It has the entirety of Boston represented: hip hop (Michael Christmas, STL GLD, Dutch ReBelle), indie rock (Palehound, Pile), pop (Ruby Rose Fox), Americana (Julie Rhoades, Tigerman WOAH), and more. Plus, these are all new and exclusive songs made for this compilation. You can download Boston Sessions Vol. 1: Beast  via Noisetrade ...