If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Derrick Alexander We absolutely adored Rosali's album Bite Down when it was released earlier this year. The album was filled with songs that bordered both indie rock and Americana and deeply connected with me personally. Now, Rosali has a new single out. "Hey Heron" was written during the sessions for Bite Down  and was originally scheduled to be released in October. It came out earlier on the Cardinals at the Window compilation to help raise funds for damage from Hurricane Helene in Rosali's home state of North Carolina, and now it's out as a single for the same. "Hey Heron" is an absolutely epic single. The song starts at a high point and continues to get more and more epic as it goes on. The build for the song is exquisite, and every time you think that it's peaked, it just keeps going. Most artists would need well over ten minutes to fit this much in, and Rosali pulls it off in under five and a half. This reminds me of Liz Phair jamming ...

As much as I love Rosali's new album Bite Down , I wasn't quite sure what to expect with a live show. An album can be as great as Bite Down , but sometimes mid-tempo songs just don't translate well in a live setting. That was not the case as Rosali and her band played The Rockwell last Thursday. The set opened with "On Tonight," which might be the best set starting song Rosali could possibly have chosen. It's also the first song on Bite Down, and set the mood for the evening. The Rockwell is a small, intimate black box theater that occasionally hosts music, and it was the perfect setting for Rosali. Her blend of singer-songwriter alt-rock is intensely personal, and it was beautiful to see in a setting that was curated to her style so perfectly.  Plus, Rosali is a captivating performer with a fantastic band. She just has that something special that locks you in and you just can't turn away. (Not that you'd want to...) A highlight of the set was "Hi...

Photo by Asia Harman The new single from Rosali is sure to become an instant favorite the first time you hear it, and it's only going to grow on you from there. "On Tonight" has this great indie rock meets pop and roots sound. I know that's kind of one of the big sounds the past few years, but Rosali is combining those genres unlike anyone you've heard before. "On Tonight" has a kind of Liz Phair meets The Pretenders sound to it. More importantly, it's guaranteed to suck you in completely within the first few seconds. Rosali is one of those artists I was pretty sure I was going to like, but after hearing "On Tonight," I'm certain I'm going to adore her. Rosali says of her latest single: “Being ‘on' is something akin to being in a flow state, where you’re zinging with divine inspiration, full of fire, and open to possibilities. I kind of wrote the song from the P.O.V. of Eve seducing the snake and the narrative began to unfold as...

Photo by Asia Harman Rosali is North Carolina based musician Rosali Middleman. Her latest single, "Rewind," has this terrific blend of mainstream folk mixed with an alt-rock edge. Middleman's vocals have this light and breezy feel that sucks you in. She has an irresistible warmth to her voice that instantly endears her to you, but then the song starts moving in unexpected directions. It's filled with thundering drums and indie rock style guitar solos, while still being a fairly straightforward roots based singer-songwriter track. You might know what to expect once "Rewind" starts, but it meanders in so many directions that it's going to keep surprising you. You can watch the video for "Rewind" below. Bite Down is due out March 22 on Merge Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Rosali, check out the artist's website . 

Artist : Squid Album : Bright Green Field Quick Thoughts : This is some really odd but really fun post-punk. Ken highlighted one of their songs last week, but I liked "G.S.K." quite a bit and the whole album is so strangely brilliant that it's difficult not to be charmed by the whole affair. This will definitely be an acquired taste for some, but this was one of my favorites this week and it might just resonate with you as well. Songs of Note : "G.S.K.," "Paddling" Artist : Rosali Album : No Medium Quick Thoughts : This is a nice alt-rock singer-songwriter effort with a lot of really melodic stuff to go along with what is a pretty vulnerable record. Each song really resonated with me, and I found myself really into a lot of this. I'm super excited to dive back in, and if you like a lot of what we highlight in these parts, you'll enjoy this record. Songs of Note : "Mouth," "If Not For Now" Artist : Natalie Bergman...